Police Attacked In Tseung Kwan O Following Arrests

Angry protesters threw a bicycle, a Molotov cocktail, metal poles and other assorted objects at police in Tseung Kwan O after officers made several arrests in the area, drawing a backlash from residents and passersby.

Earlier in the evening, protesters had smashed up a restaurant at the Popcorn mall. Officers subsequently arrested several people in the area.

A live video feed from Apple Daily showed one officer falling to the ground after apparently being struck a glancing blow by a yellow bicycle that had been thrown to the ground from a podium above.

The officer recovered, and retreated along with his colleagues as passersby yelled abuse at them from the street, and objects kept on raining down around them.

The force later said in a social media post that the bicycle had struck an officer in the head, and he was taken to hospital with head and neck injuries.

"Appallingly, some onlookers even clapped their hands to incite the rioters", the message said. Police also said they strongly condemned the "life-threatening and violent acts of rioters."

Officers responded by firing tear gas and many officers pointed their long guns upwards as they moved back towards the safety of their vans.

A petrol bomb then exploded near the back of one of the police vans, before the officers retreated.

Officers returned later with reinforcements, firing off multiple rounds of tear gas and pepper spraying a group of people at close range.

Some protesters set fire to bicycles and other debris in the middle of the road at around 10pm. As firefighters tried to douse the flames, there was a sound of an explosion, though no one appeared to be hurt. This was followed by more loud bangs, prompting firefighters to stop their work and retreat to a safer distance.

Officers were seen using their non-lethal weapons, including a sponge round, though that didn't stop dozens of protesters from staying put, again putting garbage bins and other debris on the roads.

Some protesters also broke into the Tseung Kwan O MTR station and vandalised the place.

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