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Police fire warning shots during Hong Kong 'riot' - CNN.com
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Mong Kok riot: thousands expected to gather for New Year fireworks as government stares down protesters | South China Morning Post
Mong Kok riot: thousands expected to gather for New Year fireworks as government stares down protesters
Police claim radical elements with makeshift weapons and shields set fires in a riot, following a hygiene and license crackdown on street food hawkers
Hong Kong is preparing for another mass-gathering tonight as Lunar New Year fireworks will bring thousands to the shores of Victoria Harbour, after Mong Kok hosted six hours of running street battles between police and protesters.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has warned those protesters who weren’t swept up in a mass of arrests today linked to the riot not to come to the fireworks, where security has been reinforced.
The chaos has subsided but the signs of a fracas are still on the streets after a night of violence that saw the police opening fire with two “warning shots”, after protesters launched projectiles like flower pots, bricks and glass bottles and flaming objects.
The event that seemed to have sparked the mob action, which police have described as a “riot”, was a crackdown on illegal street food hawkers before police were brought in, including their tactical unit.
The Hong Kong government “strongly condemned” the protesters, with CY Leung standing by the police handling of incident, saying the use of warning gunshots showed the force’s “maximum restraint”.
Asked if the police were justified in firing warning shots, Leung said rioters attacked policemen who were already injured and lying on the ground, which was shown in TV footage.
Asked why the government classified it as a riot, he said: “Any big city facing a similar nature of events would classify it as a riot, not just for the government but society as a whole.”
In the morning, after the night of destruction, rubbish and debris lay everywhere on the streets as an acrid stench filled the air after metal dust bins burned.
Even as late as 8am, an angry mob could be spotted at the intersection of Sai Yee Street and Shantung Street, continuing to hurl bricks and glass bottles into the police lines as curious residents watched from the bleachers and commuters walked to work.
Police are due to hold a press briefing later on today. Earlier, police commissioner Steven Lo Wai-Chung visited some injured policemen on the scene but would not comment on the police actions.
From Monday night to early morning on Tuesday, Mong Kok, the scene of some of the worst unrest during the Occupy protests in 2014, was again plunged into chaos as more than 100 unidentified protesters – some of them so-called ‘localists’, identified by their t-shirts who campaign for varying degrees of independence for Hong Kong – launching sporadic brick and bottle attacks on police, who retaliated with pepper spray.
Fires were also reported to have been lit in the area surrounding Shantung and Soy Streets. The government has advised motorists to avoid the area.
In brief:
Crusade Yau Siu-kei, deputy Mong Kok district commander, confirmed this morning officers fired two warning shots during the “riot”.
“Radical elements have come with self-made weapons and shields and clashed with police,” Yau said. “The situation ran out of control and became a riot.”
He said the “mob” continued to throw bricks, rubbish bins and glass bottles at a close distance.
Police said 48 police officers were reported injured, with glass and hard objects deemed the likely weapons.
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Mong Kok riot: thousands expected to gather for New Year fireworks as government stares down protesters | South China Morning Post
Mong Kok riot: thousands expected to gather for New Year fireworks as government stares down protesters
Police claim radical elements with makeshift weapons and shields set fires in a riot, following a hygiene and license crackdown on street food hawkers
Hong Kong is preparing for another mass-gathering tonight as Lunar New Year fireworks will bring thousands to the shores of Victoria Harbour, after Mong Kok hosted six hours of running street battles between police and protesters.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has warned those protesters who weren’t swept up in a mass of arrests today linked to the riot not to come to the fireworks, where security has been reinforced.
The chaos has subsided but the signs of a fracas are still on the streets after a night of violence that saw the police opening fire with two “warning shots”, after protesters launched projectiles like flower pots, bricks and glass bottles and flaming objects.
The event that seemed to have sparked the mob action, which police have described as a “riot”, was a crackdown on illegal street food hawkers before police were brought in, including their tactical unit.
The Hong Kong government “strongly condemned” the protesters, with CY Leung standing by the police handling of incident, saying the use of warning gunshots showed the force’s “maximum restraint”.
Asked if the police were justified in firing warning shots, Leung said rioters attacked policemen who were already injured and lying on the ground, which was shown in TV footage.
Asked why the government classified it as a riot, he said: “Any big city facing a similar nature of events would classify it as a riot, not just for the government but society as a whole.”
In the morning, after the night of destruction, rubbish and debris lay everywhere on the streets as an acrid stench filled the air after metal dust bins burned.
Even as late as 8am, an angry mob could be spotted at the intersection of Sai Yee Street and Shantung Street, continuing to hurl bricks and glass bottles into the police lines as curious residents watched from the bleachers and commuters walked to work.
Police are due to hold a press briefing later on today. Earlier, police commissioner Steven Lo Wai-Chung visited some injured policemen on the scene but would not comment on the police actions.
From Monday night to early morning on Tuesday, Mong Kok, the scene of some of the worst unrest during the Occupy protests in 2014, was again plunged into chaos as more than 100 unidentified protesters – some of them so-called ‘localists’, identified by their t-shirts who campaign for varying degrees of independence for Hong Kong – launching sporadic brick and bottle attacks on police, who retaliated with pepper spray.
Fires were also reported to have been lit in the area surrounding Shantung and Soy Streets. The government has advised motorists to avoid the area.
In brief:
- Mong Kok streets in riot
- Health inspector crackdown on hawkers preceded riot
- Protest began about 10pm, riot started around 2am
- Hong Kong Indigenous group believed to be linked to protest
- 23 arrested, 48 officers injured
- Four journalists injured, some claim to have been hurt from police batons
- More than 100 rioters counted
- Mong Kok MTR closed until late morning
Crusade Yau Siu-kei, deputy Mong Kok district commander, confirmed this morning officers fired two warning shots during the “riot”.
“Radical elements have come with self-made weapons and shields and clashed with police,” Yau said. “The situation ran out of control and became a riot.”
He said the “mob” continued to throw bricks, rubbish bins and glass bottles at a close distance.
Police said 48 police officers were reported injured, with glass and hard objects deemed the likely weapons.
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