Police Fire Pepper Spray, Claim Petrol Bomb Threat

Protest organisers say police have fired pepper spray for the second time in two days, this time at the conclusion of an anti-extradition march in Sha Tin, while police say a petrol bomb attack has been threatened.

Thousands of protesters had made their way peacefully from the Che Kung Temple to central Sha Tin from about 3.30pm on Sunday. But at about 5pm, witnesses say some marchers attempted to push back a police cordon line outside a sports complex in Yuen Wo Road. Officers deployed the pepper spray without issuing a warning, according to the protesters.

Television footage from the scene showed a line of police in riot helmets carrying batons and shields, while protesters prepared barricades about 100 metres away. Elsewhere protesters were seen passing supplies such as helmets towards the front of their lines.

Some district councillors and lawmakers sat in the street between police and protesters in an attempt to keep both sides apart. At about 7.20pm, protesters began to move away from the front as police closed in, although some were later seen building new barricades.

The police said on social media that they had seen claims online that some people intended to use petrol bombs during the Sha Tin protest, and the force had deployed a team of specially equipped officers to deal with such a scenario.

A day earlier, police used pepper spray and batons in an attempt to clear protesters in Sheung Shui.

Organisers said 115,000 people joined the protest march. Police put the peak turnout at 28,000.

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