Police Warn People To Stay Off The Streets

The police made an urgent appeal to the public to stay off the streets and remain at a safe place, saying there are “rioting acts” across Kowloon, Hong Kong Island and the New Territories.

The force issued a statement saying rioters have set fires and damaged property on a mass scale, injuring “many people.”

The Hospital Authority said up to 8pm, at least 51 people have sent to public hospitals, with two in critical condition, and two others seriously hurt.

There have been severe clashes between police and anti-government protesters at multiple locations across the city, and the level of violence has also escalated substantially – with at least one protester shot with a live round, and officers and reporters getting hurt from some form of corrosive liquid thrown by protesters, in addition to the now usual tear gas, molotov cocktails, and pitched street battles.

The city had been in shut-down mode throughout the day – with many malls closed and a large chunk of Hong Kong’s famously efficient public transport system at a complete standstill.

The MTR Corporation had shut down three of its busiest stations for the entire day, and as the protests grew, more and more stations were closed down.

By Tuesday evening, the entire Tsuen Wan and Ma On Shan lines were closed. Altogether, services were suspended at some 40 stations. The only line that remained fully operational was the Tung Chung line.

The unrest also affected many road routes, with many buses and even taxis staying off the streets.

Some minibuses were charging customers many times the usual amount, and large crowds of people were caught outside without a way to get home.

An RTHK reporter said there were large crowds of people in Tin Shui Wai, trying to figure out a way to get back to Tuen Mun.

Despite many shops and malls either closing for the day or pulling down their shutters early, many people remain out on the streets – diners were seen packing into restaurants that remained open in the Quarry Bay area, while there was the usual hustle and bustle of activity around Mong Kok.

______________________________