Police Charge Eight Over 'mystery Gas' Protest

Police have charged eight people, including a 15-year-old, over a protest last October near the force's operational base in Tuen Mun.

Dozens of people had gathered for a demonstration on October 30 after residents living near the Tai Hing Operational Base reported feeling ill earlier in the week after smelling a mysterious gas in the area.

Police said on Tuesday that the eight people, who were among 52 arrested during the protest, have now been charged with various offences, including possessing an offensive weapon or items fit for unlawful purposes, as well as for not carrying an ID card.

The six males and two females are aged between 15 and 27, police said.

Some Tuen Mun residents had said at the time that they suspected police had been test-firing tear gas at the base, and that it had made some of them feel sick, with pet animals also coughing and vomiting.

Police denied firing any tear gas at the site, other than at the protesters there.

The Fire Services Department had said it received 18 emergency calls about a pungent odour in the area, while the Environmental Protection Department said it had received 10 complaints about the issue.

Both departments said they had sent staff to the scene to investigate but they didn't find anything unusual.