Protesters Are Your Enemy, But Will Never Win: CE

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Monday that after a day of violence and chaos, everyone in Hong Kong should now condemn the "destructive" behaviour of protesters, describing them as the enemy of the people.

The CE also said she wanted to make it clear that the demonstrators – who have taken to the streets for more than five months now – "will never win".

"If there's still any wishful thinking that by escalating violence the Hong Kong SAR government will yield to pressure to satisfy the so-called political demands, I'm making this statement clear and loud here: that will not happen," Lam said.

"Violence is not going to give us any solution to the problems that Hong Kong is facing. Our joint priority now, as a city, is to end the violence and to return Hong Kong to normal as soon as possible."

Lam said Monday's protests had seen objects thrown from height and fires set – including one on a train – warning that such actions could be "disastrous".

She said more than 60 people had been injured throughout the day, some of them seriously, singling out the shooting of a protester by the police in Sai Wan Ho, and the setting on fire of a man in Ma On Shan.

The CE said the fire incident, which followed a dispute between a middle-aged man and a group of young people, was a "totally inhumane act that nobody should condone".

She also mentioned the transport disruption throughout the day, saying protesters had prevented people from getting to work and school.

"These violent activities and disturbances have caused major consequences for almost everyone in Hong Kong," the CE said.

Asked about the police shooting in Sai Wan Ho, a traffic officer repeatedly driving into a crowd of protesters in Kwai Fong, and an officer saying last week that he was celebrating the death of student Chow Tsz-lok, the CE said these were just "isolated incidents". She said it is "unacceptable" for anyone to say the police are now out of control.

Lam also warned people not to believe the "many rumours" being spread online, saying a lot of these are malicious. She didn't elaborate.

She also said people should avoid any areas that have become dangerous due to protest action, saying this warning should also apply to the territory's journalists.

The CE was accompanied to the press briefing by Security Secretary John Lee, Transport Secretary Frank Chan, Health Secretary Sophia Chan and Education Secretary Kevin Yeung.

However, these officials didn't say anything.