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Police fire tear gas at demonstrators during latest Hong Kong protest

Police in Hong Kong have fired tear gas at protesters who they claim ignored their warning not to...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

15.45 27 Jul 2019


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Police fire tear gas at demons...

Police fire tear gas at demonstrators during latest Hong Kong protest

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

15.45 27 Jul 2019


Share this article


Police in Hong Kong have fired tear gas at protesters who they claim ignored their warning not to march in a particular neighbourhood.

Today's protest was in response to unprecedented violence last week.

A mob of armed and masked men attacked people in a subway last Sunday, apparently targeting pro-democracy demonstrators.

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Around 45 people were injured, with allegations that the attacker included triad gang members.

Activists have criticised police for failing to protect the victims of the attack, and they organised today's demonstration in response to the recent events.

Authorities took the rare move of denying permission for today's protest, citing fears of violent clashes.

However, organisers pledged the demonstration would proceed - and local media reports that more than 200,000 demonstrators turned out.

According to the South China Morning Post, tear gas was fired by police amid some clashes with demonstrators at the Yeun Long metro station.

Riot police block a road into the Yuen Long district in Hong Kong on Saturday, July 27, 2019. Hong Kong police on Saturday fired tear gas and swung batons at protesters who defied authorities' warnings not to march in a neighborhood where six days earlier a mob apparently targeting demonstrators brutally attacked people in a train station. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

Local media reports that police stormed the station and used batons.

Nine people are reported to have been injured during today's clashes, although it was not immediately clear whether the injured individuals were police, protesters or bystanders.

Hong Kong has been rocked by major protests over the past two months.

Hundreds of thousands of people initially took to the streets calling for the local government to drop an extradition bill which would have allowed fugitives be transferred to mainland China.

Amid intensifying protests, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam announced the bill would be suspended indefinitely - claiming the "bill is dead".

However, pro-democracy protesters have continued to call for the legislation's full withdrawal and for Mrs Lam to resign.

Protesters react to tear gas during a face off with riot police at Yuen Long district in Hong Kong. Picture by: Bobby Yip/AP/Press Association Images

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