Riot Police Break Up Protest At Taikoo Shing Mall

Scores of riot police flooded into the upscale Cityplaza mall in Taikoo Shing on Sunday evening to disperse a crowd of people who gathered for a ‘sing-with-you’ protest – before a single song was sung.

Masked riot police bearing shields marched through the mall floor by floor ordering people to leave, citing the government's ban on public gatherings of more than four people. One officer pointed a canister of pepper-spray at the crowd.

A number of people were stopped and searched, including at least two people wearing vests identifying them as journalists.

Officers also brandished pepper spray at journalists covering the operation at one point, when a group of them tried to rush forward to take footage of someone being surrounded by police.

Officers quickly shoved the reporters backwards while yelling at them to 'calm down, cooperate, and move back'.

Some families with young children were shopping in the area, and were also dispersed by officers.

Stores pulled down their shutters after police burst in – some with customers still inside.

Well over a hundred people had gathered in the mall at around 6pm, many wearing black and holding protest banners.

They chanted various protest slogans, including the familiar cry of ‘Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times!”.

Some called for the authorities to release all 15 pro-democracy activists who were arrested in a crackdown last weekend.

Pro-democracy district councillor Andrew Chiu – who had part of his ear bitten off an in attack in the same mall last year – told reporters a police commander had told him that the officers had entered the private mall after receiving reports that a group of people were milling around inside in violation of the government's ban on public gatherings of more than four people.

Within minutes of the police entering, large sections of the sprawling mall were virtually emptied of all protesters – and shoppers – with only police and journalists left.

However, a small number of people who remained continuously hurled verbal abuse at officers.

Throughout the process, the mall broadcast an announcement calling on people not to gather.

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