HONG KONG, Aug 12 (NNN-AGENCIES ) – Hong Kong erupted into violence again on Sunday night as anti-government protests entered their 10th week with demonstrations across the city.
Police fired tear gas on protesters in three locations as protesters retreated to regroup elsewhere after barricading streets.
Beijing initially remained silent on the protests but in recent weeks has begun to follow an increasingly harsh line.
This week China’s office overseeing Hong Kong affairs warned violent protesters to not underestimate the power of the mainland government.
Beijing has also continued to accuse the US of interfering in the protest movement, as well as other Western governments.
Clashes began earlier than usual on Sunday with the first tear gas fired shortly after 5 pm (0900 GMT) in the neighbourhood of the subway station Sham Shui Po and at Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui within the next two hours.
In North Point, the site of violence between residents and protesters last week, videos shared on Twitter showed groups of locals attacking journalists who were monitoring the location.
The groups of men wore either white t-shirts or red shirts with an emblem from Fujian province in mainland China, in contrast to protesters who typically wear black.
Men in white shirts had attacked protesters after a demonstration in late July and were widely believed to belong to Hong Kong’s criminal triads.
The clashes followed an earlier gathering in Victoria Park, where thousands of people protested against the government and its failure to meet their demands.
The gathering, while legal, was followed by an unauthorized marched through the central business and shopping districts of Hong Kong island.
Protester Eric Hung told dpa he would march despite the possibility of arrest, in part in response to an ongoing police crackdown on anti-government protests.
“We are all worried but there is nothing to lose,” he said. “Police are abusing their power.”
He said while protesters were tired after weeks of clashes they were sustained by a sense of “anger” and the “pursuit of justice.”
Protests began on June 9 against a now suspended legislative bill that would have allowed for criminal extradition to mainland China.
While the former British colony of Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, it has – until 2047 – a separate legal system and civil rights not found in China under the “one country, two systems” arrangement.
Many Hong Kong residents fear China’s legal system, with a reputation for political prosecutions and a high conviction rate, which is starkly different from their common law system inherited from Britain.
A protester named Karena, who did not disclose her last name for fear of professional repercussions, said many people were afraid of the city losing its semi-autonomy.
“We don’t want independence, we just want to change the unfair system,” she told dpa, referring to the fact that Hong Kong’s leader is selected by a small committee.
“We just want to keep ‘one country two systems’,” she added. “The Chinese government is involved too much and our government is [always] listening to what they say.”
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