Protesters Hurl Bricks At Sai Pin Wai Village

As riot police confronted protesters at multiple spots in Yuen Long on Saturday evening, there were particularly ferocious exchanges at Sai Pin Wai village, not far from Yuen Long MTR Station.

Protesters threw bricks and other objects into the village, prompting the police to fire repeated rounds of tear gas, and what was believed to be rubber bullets.

A number of riot officers were stationed inside the village. They held up an orange flag warning that they could open fire if protesters did not disperse.

The force had earlier warned that it feared there could clashes between protesters and villagers.

A standoff between police and protesters had taken place earlier outside nearby Nam Pin Wai village, where men who attacked MTR passengers appeared to have fled following the violence last Sunday night.

The vicious attacks, which put 45 people in hospital, prompted the latest protest which went ahead despite a police ban.

Tens of thousands marched through the streets of Yuen Long, with the police the target of their anger after officers admitted it took them more than half an hour to respond to Sunday's violence.