No Pause In Clashes As Night Falls

Violent clashes between police and anti-government demonstrators continued across the city into Tuesday night, with fires, petrol bombs and tear gas at multiple locations, as police again appealed to the public to stay off the streets.

In Tai Wai, dozens of masked protesters lobbed molotov cocktails around the turnstiles at the MTR station there, even with firemen standing close by attempting to douse the flames.

Other protesters were also seen using rods and sticks to hit signs within the station.

There were similar scenes inside the Diamond Hill MTR station, with protesters smashing up windows, security cameras and other equipment, and setting a fire inside the station.

The MTR Corporation said radical protesters also broke into the Tsuen Wan station, which had already been closed, vandalised a train, and threw petrol bombs onto the tracks.

The railway operator said similar incidents also took place in Tai Wai station and Che Kung Temple station after they were closed.

The MTR said more than 20 stations were damaged to some degree during the day, and suspended services at almost 50 stations – around half the 94 stations it operates, excluding the Light Rail.

In the latest in a series of videos the police have been posting on social media, the force on Tuesday night urged people to stay safe at home, and away from the streets.

Police Senior Superintendent Yolanda Yu said besides the fires set at MTR stations, some protesters have been ‘shooting fireworks at residents’, and beating up passersby.

She also said many roads have been blocked by protesters, and that ‘riotous acts’ have been taking place over a wide area, including Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Sham Shui Po, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Yau Ma Tei, and Wong Tai Sin.

Meantime, police fired tear gas in Tuen Mun, Causeway Bay, Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok and Wong Tai Sin in the evening, to try to disperse protesters.

Protesters had been trying to set fires on the roads and block traffic on Lung Cheung Road in Wong Tai Sin and in Tuen Mun, while protesters had been chucking petrol bombs towards the police station in Sham Shui Po. A fire was also set in the lobby of the Cheung Sha Wan government offices nearby. Firefighters later arrived to put out the blaze.

The police’s water cannon truck sprayed blue-dyed water in Wan Chai at one point as riot police closed in on protesters heading towards Causeway Bay.

At around 7.30, riot police fired tear gas by the Regal Hongkong Hotel on Yee Wo Street.

Fires were also set on roads near Victoria Park, and by the usually busy MTR exit near the Sogo department store.

Later in the evening, demonstrators returned to a protest hot spot right outside the Mong Kok police station, where police fired tear gas to try to disperse them.

Slowly, the number of protesters gradually dwindled, until relative calm returned to the streets early on Wednesday morning.

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