Hong Kong is plunged into its worst political crisis in decades. The pro-democracy protesters threw petrol bombs in a series of clashes on Saturday.
The police fired tear gas and water cannon in the city. They fired round after round of tear gas and protesters took cover behind umbrellas between the local headquarters of China’s People’s Liberation Army and the government.
The Protesters also threw bricks dug up from pathways at police.
In order to identify a protester, the police unleashed blue-dyed water traditionally.
Riot police then marched on foot towards the neighbouring Admiralty district, followed by 20 police cars, where protesters had thrown fire bombs from flyovers, some landing close to police. Others shone blue and green lasers at police lines, according to Reuters.
There were unconfirmed reports of an off-duty policeman being wounded.
In the Wanchai bar and restaurant district, police fought running battles with protesters, beating them with truncheons. There were several arrests.
The protests, which at one point blocked three key roads, came on the fifth anniversary of a decision by China to curtail democratic reforms and rule out universal suffrage in Hong Kong, a former British colony that was returned to China in 1997.
“The government today said rashly embarking on political reform again will further polarise society, which is an irresponsible act,” the government news.gov.hk website said.
“It noted any discussions on constitutional development have to be premised on the legal basis, and be conducted under a peaceful atmosphere with mutual trust in a pragmatic manner.”
The People’s Liberation Army on Thursday rotated its troops in the city in what it said was a routine operation. Their Hong Kong HQ was the former base of the British military garrison.
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