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Hong Kong Police Unleash Tear Gas on Peaceful Pro-Democracy Protesters

Protesters demanding genuine democratic elections in Hong Kong were met with batons, tear gas and pepper spray during the second day of demonstrations in the city.

Following clashes between Hong Kong police and student protesters on September 27, pro-democracy group Occupy Central with Love and Peace kickstarted a massive sit-in at 1:30 a.m. the following day to pressure China’s government into withdrawing its requirement that candidates for Hong Kong’s top leader get majority support from a largely pro-Beijing nominating committee.

Riot police began attempting to disperse protesters wielding batons and deploying tear gas and pepper spray beginning at 6 p.m. on September 28. Thousands of protesters were still in streets near the city’s financial center confronting riot police by the time this article was published.

Unverified accounts of police using rubber bullets to shoot at protesters have circulated on social media. Key protest organizers have urged protesters to retreat at around 10 p.m.

China has promised special administrative region Hong Kong, which enjoys certain autonomy from the mainland, a direct vote in the 2017 chief executive election, but pro-democracy activists maintain the nominating committee undermines the people’s right to choose their leader.

Hong Kong police called the sit-in illegal and blocked roads and pathways leading to the government headquarters. More and more people arrived and scattered around Admiralty and Central districts as they attempted to reach the government headquarters by walking pass the Harcourt and Connaught Highway. Eventually the two main roads at the center of the financial district were blocked at around 3 p.m.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying held a press conference at 3:30 p.m. repeating his stand that election reform in Hong Kong has to be restricted by the framework set by Beijing and that the police would take action against illegal protests, in accordance with the law.

Thousands of protesters were surrounding the government headquarters at various spots in Admiralty and Central districts, blocking several roads. Police raised an orange-colored warning sign, stating “disperse or we fire”.

At 6 p.m., the riot police started firing tear gas.

Read more: globalvoicesonline.org

Written by Oiwan Lam
Global Voices

TN

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