Tear Gas, Detentions Bring Central Protest To An End

Police fired tear gas at protesters in Central on Tuesday afternoon, cornering around a dozen young people as many others fled.

For the second day in a row, thousands of people had taken to the streets of the financial district for a lunchtime demonstration against the government.

Buses were vandalised to stop them from being driven away, as protesters made use of the vehicles to help block traffic in the area.

Riot officers soon appeared and warned they would fire tear gas at the crowd. But this failed to disperse the protesters and their action continued for hours.

The junction of Des Voeux Road and Pedder Street was the focus of the protest for a good while, before the numbers there dwindled and protesters blocked Connaught Road Central with various objects, bringing traffic there to a standstill.

The driver of an airport bus hurriedly tried to do a U-turn, but protesters spray painted the front of his cab so he couldn't see where he was going and he eventually gave up, with the bus then forming part of the blockade.

Passengers on the bus disembarked with their luggage.

Tensions rose later in the afternoon and at around 3.30pm, police stormed along Pedder Street, catching some people unaware and surrounding them by the Landmark complex.

Some stood with their hands up while others were sitting on the ground. They weren't wearing black like regular frontline protesters and none could be seen wearing masks or any protective gear.

Onlookers jeered at the police and a blue flag was raised warning they were taking part in an illegal assembly. But it appeared that by this point, the protest had come to an end.