Protests Spread As HK Descends Into Chaos

The ongoing protests against the Carrie Lam administration – which started in June against the government's plan to amend the fugitive bill – flared into a full blown crisis on Monday with the city hit with a transport shutdown, flight cancellations and day-long clashes between police and protesters.

The week started with calls for an unprecedented general strike still ringing loud from overnight protests that went on well past midnight, spreading chaos in key commercial areas and some residential areas.

The day started with widespread disruption of train services from early morning as protesters held up trains at various stations while objects like bicycles and fire extinguishers were used to disrupt some other lines.

Within minutes almost all rail lines shut down while some people started blocking major thoroughfares, adding to the panic of commuters.

The strike was not limited to local transport this time as the airport scaled down its operations, limiting flights to just one runway instead of the usual two. With Airport Express also cancelled, a sense that a city which had long boasted its connectivity was grinding to a halt was complete.

Even as the commuters who got caught in the unheard-of action argued and sometimes got physical over the rights and wrongs of the protests, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who has been accused of running away from taking charge, announced that she will address the media at 10am.

But any hope of the CE offering a solution for the quagmire that Hong Kong has been slipping into vanished soon. Apart from appealing to people to rally together to restore order, the Chief Executive offered nothing new as to what she and her government intended to do to end the crisis.

The opposition parties accused Lam of doing nothing to end the dispute and pushing Hong Kong "towards the point of no return".

Even as train services were crippled and road transport in some areas remained affected, people started gathering at different venues to show solidarity with the protesters.

In Tin Shui Wai, meanwhile, some demonstrators gathered outside the police station over a controversial arrest of a female demonstrator overnight, accusing officers of stripping her underclothes.

Things soon started flaring up at different places, starting with Tin Shui Wai as police time and again fired tear gas to try to take control of the situation. Police also fired tear gas in Wong Tai Sin, Admiralty and Tai Po as clashes erupted.

Meanwhile, hundreds turned up at Tamar Park and the Legco area for the first time after July 1 when protesters stormed the complex. But they soon began to drift towards Harcourt Road and started occupying it.

A retiree, who gave her name as Ho, was among them. She stressed the need to put more pressure on the government this time, compared with what happened during the 2014 Occupy protests.

"This time, I don't think we should step back so easily," she said. "This time, this has to be a prolonged one, and hopefully we're going to get what we demand."

But as hours passed by large numbers filled venues in Wong Tai Sin, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun, indicating a large number of people had stayed away from work.

As protests continued across the city, Beijing announced that representatives from the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office will speak to the media on Tuesday about the "current situation in Hong Kong". This is the second time in two weeks that central government is taking this unusual step.

Even by evening there was no sign of calm as protesters targeted a disciplined service quarters in Wong Tai Sin, which was the scene of clashes between residents and protesters previously.

In Tin Shui Wai, protesters continued to throw stones and point laser guns at the officers, guarding the police station despite facing tear gas and rubber bullets.

And in North Point, which has been untouched by protests so far, violence erupted as protesters and a group of men armed with sticks fought on King's Road.

Even as police seemed to gain control at some points, new flare ups seemed to pop up for even news media to keep track. Most television networks kept telecasting live pictures throughout the day, shifting from one scene to the other as trouble erupted.

As the night descended, Hong Kong was waking up to the fact that the city has drifted into uncharted waters with no one clear where this is all headed.