New Flavour For Lunch Time Protests As Cops Lie Low

Lunch time protests in Hong Kong's commercial centre and other areas of the city had a slightly different flavour on Friday, as police adopted what seemed to be a low-key approach.

The demonstrations ended without the detentions, pepper spray or tear gas that have been seen in the area over the last few days.

As the Friday lunch hour approached, some black-clad protesters appeared in the central business district for an unannounced but widely expected demonstration, for the fifth straight day.

Office workers who had come out for lunch joined them and the crowd began to spill on to the streets, blocking traffic. Shops along Pedder Street began shutting down as the crowds got bigger and the chants louder.

The scene looked set for a repeat of the clashes witnessed in the area over the previous week. Scars of those clashes were still visible.

A branch of the mainland-based Bank of Communications had its facade boarded up, after its glass windows were smashed earlier in the week. Anti-government and anti-police graffiti were still clearly visible on the road itself.

But one ingredient was missing from the usual lunch menu – policemen.

In previous days, the police had a heavy presence in the area. They made several arrests, pepper sprayed some and even fired tear gas in the business district.

But they appeared to take a different tack this time around – and protesters were able to move onto Connaught Road Central outside Exchange Square without resistance.

They blocked the intersections with bricks, potted plants, and umbrellas, and scattered metal screws as well. But unlike previous days, they were left unchallenged

The protesters started to disperse just after 2pm, with the bulk of people returning to work.

The police arrived on the scene after the crowd had thinned, and the few people who remained scattered.

Riot police and Civil Aid Service workers swept through the blocked intersections, clearing the obstacles and returning normality to the area.

Similar scenes were reported from elsewhere in the city, where other lunch time protests had taken place.

Groups of people took to the streets in Causeway Bay, Tai Koo, Kwun Tong and Wong Chuk Hang, with police officers largely absent.