Pepper Spray Out As Protest Continues In Mong Kok

Police have subdued a number of people in Mong Kok, pepper spraying some journalists in the process, after advancing on multiple occasions on scattered groups of protesters around the district throughout Sunday evening.

Large numbers of police had roamed around the district from the early evening, earlier protests at malls across the city morphed into a street gathering in Mong Kok.

At around 9.30pm, several police vans suddenly raced up Shandong Street, scattering a large crowd of mostly journalists who were covering the unrest.

By the time journalists caught up to the officers, several people wearing black were being subdued on the ground – by apparent undercover officers who were also wearing black, but using police batons.

Uniformed officers then pushed the throng of reporters back, shoving some of them, as some journalists yelled that they had no more space to retreat.

In the chaos, something was thrown from above, with officers responding by pointing their rifles skywards at the surrounding buildings.

A small street fire was set on Sai Yeung Choi Street South, but was quickly doused by an officer using a water bottle.

Meantime, police continued rounding up people. A young man was seen bleeding from the forehead as he was confronted by officers.

The Democratic Party said legislator Roy Kwong was arrested in the area late on Sunday night as he was appealing to officers at the scene to 'calm down' and avoid using any force against journalists.

But Kwong was flung to the ground and subdued by a number of officers – one of whom appeared to have used his knee to press the lawmaker's head to the ground.

His party said in a statement that Kwong was arrested for disorder in a public place.

A handful more people had been subdued earlier in the evening.

At around 7pm on Soy Street, officers had raised a flag warning a group of people that they were taking part in an unauthorised gathering, before moving in to search and subdue several.

Officers repeatedly shoved the arm of an RTHK video journalist who was shooting smartphone video of a man being subdued on the ground by an officer.

Someone then threw some debris at the officers, prompting police to surge forward. A large number of journalists also advanced to try to capture the scene, and in the ensuing chaos, several people – including an RTHK journalist – were pepper-sprayed.

Many people were then stopped and searched, including one woman who refused to comply with police orders for her to unlock her cell phone.

Officers warned her to not to resist, and that she could lose her freedom for a while.

Large numbers of police then continued roaming around the streets, stopping and searching people every so often and ordering people to get off the street and back onto the pavement.

Officers raised another warning flag at Sai Yeung Choi Street South at around 8pm, ordering people to leave immediately.

Some people were given HK$2,000 tickets for allegedly violating the ban on gatherings of over eight people in public.

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