70-plus hurt as Hong Kong protesters, police clash
HONG KONG — Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets in downtown Hong Kong on Wednesday as they repelled tens of thousands of protesters who had swarmed the city’s legislature, angry over proposed laws to allow extraditions to mainland China.
The street confrontation began in earnest Wednesday afternoon when a small number of protesters stormed police barricades outside the Legislative Council and hurled bricks, bottles and umbrellas at the officers. The riot police responded by firing rubber bullets, bean bag rounds and tear-gas canisters at the protesters.
The large-scale clashes — rare in this financial hub — underscore both the deepseated anger that protesters feel about the erosion of liberties in the territory and the police’s resolve to maintain order.
The widespread public outrage over the bill also puts Carrie Lam, who was selected by China’s leaders to govern the territory two years ago, in a delicate position. Retreating risks making her look weak and drawing the ire of her party benefactors, who back the bill, but moving ahead with the vote on the proposal could incite even more protests and unrest.
Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, described the demonstrations as an organized riot but would not say whether she would withdraw the contentious bill.
Earlier Wednesday, in remarks made before the protests turned violent, she compared the demonstrators to stubborn children.
By late Wednesday, officials reported more than 70 people injured, some critically.
Demonstrators said they were shocked and dismayed to see tear gas used against them. The police also fired rubber bullets into the crowd, and wounded a driver for a radio station with a shot in the eye.
‘‘These are not the scenes I want to see,’’ said Phoebe Ip, 31, who took the day off from a marketing job to join largely peaceful demonstrations, but found herself dodging flying tear-gas canisters. ‘‘We just want to communicate, but there is no way for us to talk with them. They just want to push us away.’’
Stephen Lo, the police commissioner, described the demonstrations as ‘‘riots’’ and called on protesters to go home, warning that those who refused ‘‘might regret your decision for your entire life.’’
The police had cleared some of the area by early Wednesday evening, but the smell of tear gas still hung over downtown.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was impressed with the number of protesters who took to the streets of Hong Kong, calling it as big a demonstration as he has ever seen.
But he said he was avoiding picking a side.
Trump says he understands the reason for the demonstration, adding, “I hope it all works out for China and for Hong Kong.”
The issue has become a lightning rod for concerns over greater Chinese control and erosion of civil liberties in the semiautonomous territory.