Scuffles Break Out Near Polling Station

Soon after polls opened for the Sunday's by-elections, scuffles broke out as leading pro-democracy supporters were pushed and shouted at.

Several men and a woman heckled Agnes Chow, who was barred from running, as well as pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong and Nathan Law, near a polling station where they were supporting Au Nok-hin. One of the men barged into Mr Wong, while others shouted obscenities.

"Traitors and running dogs!" a man repeatedly yelled - insults commonly used by Beijing loyalists against political opponents - while others hurled obscenities.

Wong said that threats to freedoms in the city "prove that it's more necessary for us to vote".

The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission, Barnabas Fung, called on campaigners to respect each other and not to resort to verbal abuse, although he said he had not received any complaints.

But he called on people to maintain Hong Kong's civilised voting culture. (AFP, RTHK staff)