- Thousands of students and activists gathered in the city's financial district in protest of anti-democratic leaders
- Officers used tear gas and baton charge to break up crowd, but many protesters remain and have set up camp
- Beijing last month ruled out open nominations for candidates for the first democratic election in Hong Kong in 2017
- Protesters chanted 'Shame on C.Y. Leung', the city's Beijing-backed leader, while shielding faces from the gas
Pro-democracy
protesters, some wearing surgical masks and holding up umbrellas to
protect against tear gas, expanded their rallies throughout Hong Kong on
Monday, defying calls to disperse in a major pushback against Beijing's
decision to limit democratic reforms in the Asian financial hub.
Police
officers tried to negotiate with protesters camped out on a normally
busy highway near the Hong Kong government headquarters that was the
scene of tear gas-fueled clashes that erupted the evening before.
An
officer with a bullhorn tried to get them to clear the way for the
commuters. A protester, using the group's own speaker system, responded
by saying that they wanted Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying
to demand a genuine choice for the territory's voters.
'Do something good for Hong Kong. We want real democracy!' he shouted.
Resistance: Thousands of protesters
are still gathered in Hong Kong's financial district despite police
throwing tear gas at them and launching a baton charge
Force: The authorities have threatened
to increase their use of force if the student activists, who are
demanding democratic elections, do not disperse
Disruption: The protest marks the end
of a week of activities which has become the worst unrest in Hong Kong
since Britain handed the province back to China
Hong Kong police rained tear gas on
thousands of pro-democracy protesters in the city's financial district
today as tensions over the island's democratic rights grow
Gas: Officers used tear gas to break
up the protest for the first time in Hong Kong since 2005, though
officers denied rumours they had also fired rubber bullets
Scuffles
broke out between police wearing riot gear and helmets, and activists
dressed in anoraks, goggles and waving umbrellas to protect themselves
against pepper spray.
'If
today I don't stand out, I will hate myself in future,' said taxi
driver Edward Yeung, 55, as he swore at police on the frontline. 'Even
if I get a criminal record it will be a glorious one.'
The
protests later spread to the busy shopping district of Causeway Bay and
across the harbour to Mong Kok, posing a greater challenge for
authorities to contain, local media reported.
In
a move certain to unnerve authorities in Beijing, media in Taiwan
reported that student movement leaders had occupied the lobby of Hong
Kong's representative office on the island in a show of support for the
democracy protesters.
Democracy: The students are demanding a
free vote in upcoming elections after the Chinese government
hand-picked candidates loyal to the regime
Protection: Protesters wearing
home-made gas masks and goggle throw tear gas grenades back at police as
they demand democratic elections in Hong Kong
Unlawful: Hong Kong leader C.Y. Leung
has said authorities will do whatever is necessary to break up the
protest, which he said were illegal
Violent: An officer holding a riot
shield shouts at protesters during a second day of demonstrations in
Hong Kong where police have clashed with activists
Hong
Kong leader Leung Chun-ying had earlier pledged 'resolute' action
against the protest movement, known as Occupy Central with Love and
Peace.
'The
police are determined to handle the situation appropriately in
accordance with the law,' Leung said, less than two hours before the
police charge.
Such
dissent would never be tolerated on the mainland, where student
protests in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square calling for democracy
were crushed with heavy loss of life on June 4, 1989.
In
mainland China, the phrase 'Occupy Central' was blocked on Sunday
afternoon on Weibo, the country's version of Twitter. It had been
allowed earlier in the day.
Arrests: While police have dispersed
many of the protesters there are still thousands from the Occupy Central
group gathered in the city's financial district
Protest: It is believed that the
city's financial district will try to operate as normal tomorrow,
despite thousands of protesters camped in the street
Crowd control: Riot police prepare to
defend the Hong Kong government complex, although it was later reported
that some protesters had made it inside
Standoff: Protesters have now erected
barricades in the centre of Hong Kong and are preparing to settle in for
the night as riot police surround them
Unrest: The night of demonstrations
follows on from clashes between activists and police yesterday when
students charged through a cordon and broke into the Hong Kong
government complex
Later,
a Hong Kong government statement urged the Occupy organisers to bring
an end to the 'chaos', for the overall good of the city. The government
said some public transport may be disrupted on Monday due to the
protests, while some schools in affected areas would be closed.
Students
and activists are fighting for more democratic freedoms. Their protests
are directed towards Beijing which last month ruled out open
nominations for candidates for the first ever Hong Kong elections, due
to be held in 2017.
The
Chinese government remains insistent that candidates must be screened,
and their patriotism to the communist country assessed before they can
stand for election.
Riot teams wearing protective headgear
and carrying body-length shields faced off with crowds on one of the
financial district's main streets as fumes from the gas rose above the
crowds
Thousands of students and activists
frantically dispersed as fumes from the gas spread among demonstrators
calling for democratic reform in Hong Kong
Crowds hopped over the barriers
separating some of the city's main roads to flee the streaming gas as
riot police became more violent in their efforts to control crowds
A wall of umbrellas goes up against
riot police yielding full-body-length shields and has masks as officers
throw pepper spray on students and activists in Hong Kong
'It
was very cruel for the police to use such harsh violence on protesters
who had been completely peaceful,' said one of the demonstrators, Cecily
Lui, a 30-year-old clerk.
'They
were just sitting down on the road asking to speak with (Hong Kong
leader) Leung Chun-ying to start a dialogue. Now, police have solved
nothing and students are more resolved to stay.'
Their
violent tactics were followed by a statement urging protesters to leave
'peacefully and orderly' or 'a higher level of force' will be used.
Undeterred, the crowds began chanting: 'Shame on C.Y. Leung', in a scathing reference to the deeply unpopular Hong Kong leader.
The
protests are the latest sign of Beijing's ailing ability to control the
semi-autonomous island. One demonstrator described it as a 'new era',
adding: 'It's no longer the old Hong Kong'.
The police threatened using 'a higher
level of force' to stomp out the protests in Hong Kong if crowds
returned to the site but were unsuccessful as hundreds stood their
ground
The force threatened tougher action on
the protesters if they returned to the site following the tear gas.
Undeterred demonstrators did indeed come back however later in the
evening
Crowds grab umbrellas and throw them
above their heads in a desperate attempt to shield themselves from the
gas as tensions flared during the third day of protests
A man throws his arms in the air and
walks away from streaming canisters of tear gas as photographers - some
of whom were wearing masks - scramble to capture the dramatic moment in
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong leader C.Y. Leung backed
the police's efforts to control swelling crowds as Beijing branded the
previously peaceful protests 'illegal'
One of the main streets in Hong Kong's
financial district was blocked as thousands of protesters staged a
planned mass sit-in in the name of democratic reform
Outrage: Protestors chanted in
opposition of the Hong Kong leader outside his headquarters today as
their campaign for democratic reform was thwarted by police
A lone protester stands among armoured
riot police waving their body-length shields as the third day of
demonstrations in Hong Kong reached boiling point
Demonstrators
covered their eyes with sunglasses and goggle and their mouths and
noses with clingfilm to avoid breathing in tear gas at the protest
Two young
demonstrators stood their ground at the scene of the protests this
evening, wearing waterproof ponchos and protective eye gear in
anticipation of more gas
Students and activists covered
themselves entirely in protective clothing in the event more gas was
distributed. One man wrapped cling film around his forearms in a bid to
avoid burns
As night fell hundreds had returned to
the scene with protective eyewear and waterproof ponchos in the fear
that more tear gas will be distributed tonight
But
Leung defended police efforts to control the swelling crowds, adding
they were 'resolute in opposing the unlawful occupation of government
offices'.
'The police are determined to handle the situation appropriately in accordance with law,' he said at a news conference.
Organisers
said among those present, several pro-democracy legislators were led
away by police. Media magnate Jimmy Lai, who owns the only pro-democracy
newspaper in the city, was also there.
Earlier, police said they had arrested 78 people since demonstrations started late Friday, though all but three were released.
Leung
said Hong Kong's government was "resolute in opposing the unlawful
occupation" of the government offices or the financial district by
Occupy Central.
The Chinese government agency that handles Hong Kong affairs also condemned the protests.
'China's
central government firmly opposes illegal acts taking place in Hong
Kong and fully supports the local government in handling the matter
according to the law,' the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the
State Council said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Protest organizers said police took away several pro-democracy legislators who were among the demonstrators.
Among the protesters was media magnate Jimmy Lai, who owns the popular Apple Daily, Hong Kong's sole pro-democracy newspaper.
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