Hong Kong police fire tear gas at protesters as confrontation looms

Anti-extradition bill protesters react after police fired tear gas during a demonstration in Sham Shui Po neighbourhood in Hong Kong, China, 11 August 2019 - Reuters

HONG KONG (Reuters): Hong Kong police fired tear gas at protesters on Sunday as a 10th straight weekend of anti-government demonstrations intensified amidst an increasingly aggressive response from the police and Beijing.

Riot police fired volleys of tear gas at crowds of mostly young protesters outside a police station in the working class district of Sham Shui Po. In nearby Cheung Sha Wan, protesters threw objects at police who fired back with tear gas. The action followed a day of marches by demonstrators of all ages as increasingly violent protests since June have plunged Hong Kong into its most serious crisis in decades, and pose a challenge to the central Government in Beijing.

Chants of “Liberate Hong Kong” had earlier echoed through the streets when more than a thousand black-shirted protesters marched, some with their pets, amidst a carnival atmosphere.

Police have shown a growing willingness to quickly clear protesters from the streets – also firing tear gas on Saturday evening – while China has begun applying pressure to the city’s corporate giants, including flag carrier Cathay Pacific.

On Sunday, protesters had gathered outside Sham Shui Po police station when the police began firing tear gas, but the activists stood their ground.