Arrests Made In Mong Kok After Attempt To Block Road

A number of people were subdued in Mong Kok after debris was thrown onto the road near the upscale Langham Place mall on Thursday night, bringing traffic in that area to a halt.

Police say they made several arrests.

People had earlier gathered nearby to light candles to mark 31 years since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

The vigil was held peacefully, but just past 9pm, some people started throwing debris onto the street, holding up traffic.

Almost immediately, a large number of plainclothes police wearing black clothes pounced, and wrestled down a number of people to the ground.

They took out their batons to help subdue the suspects, and riot police quickly arrived at the scene, as people around them shouted abuse and threw debris at the officers.

Police quickly moved to gain control, unfurling a warning flag telling people in the vicinity to disperse, as they were taking part in an unauthorised assembly.

Reuters reported pepper spray was used to subdue some people and television images showed some police officers helping a man rinse his eyes.

Traffic started moving through the road again soon after 9.30pm.

In a statement, police said some people who they described as “rioters” used fences and traffic cones to block Argyle Street at around 9pm and officers immediately subdued some suspects using minimum force.

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