Protesters Barricade Themselves In Yuen Long MTR

About 100 protesters barricaded themselves inside Yuen Long MTR station on Wednesday night, ignoring police calls for them to leave.

They were part of a bigger, earlier demonstration against alleged police inaction one month ago when suspected gangsters rampaged through the station.

The protesters blocked exits with rubbish bins, trolleys and anything they could find, before bringing down the shutters. They sprayed the floor with fire extinguishers to make it slippery for any incoming police.

Trains passed straight through the station, except for special services to allow people to leave.

However by about 11pm the dozens of riot police outside station began to leave, and many of the demonstrators inside started taking trains home.

Earlier, police began clearing dozens of protesters from outside the station, after people gathered there to mark one month since the attack. At least one person was injured and was being attended to by paramedics.

Officers repeatedly warned those outside the station to stop shining lasers at them, before they started the clearance by marching along the road with riot shields at the front.

Some protesters began throwing objects at the police, but swiftly retreated as the riot police advanced.

Many went inside the MTR station, where almost a thousand people had joined a sit-in protest over what they say is police inaction or even collusion with triads over the July 21 attack.

Nearly 50 people were injured as a mob of white T-shirt wearing men ran beserk in the station, hitting out indiscriminately with sticks and other weapons. Police have arrested 28 people, but no charges have been laid so far.

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