HK cop was forced to fire warning shot: Police
Dozens of protesters nabbed, including 12-year-old
HONG KONG Police in Hong Kong said yesterday they were forced to fire water cannon and a warning shot to fend off "extremely violent" demonstrators, following another weekend of clashes at pro-democracy rallies.
Sunday's violence in Tsuen Wan was one of the worst in 12 weeks of political unrest roiling the city.
As night fell, a group of officers were cornered by protesters armed with bricks and other weapons.
An officer fell to the ground under a barrage of blows from "rioters" who had "the clear intention to take his life", assistant chief of police Mak Chin Ho said yesterday.
"One officer fired a warning shot into the air," he added, while six officers held up their revolvers as a precautionary measure. It is believed to be the first live round fired by an officer during the current crisis.
Twenty-one officers were injured, Hong Kong police said, while dozens of protesters were arrested - including a 12-year-old - for unlawful assembly, possession of weapons and assaulting police.
Earlier, police appealed to members of the public "to make a clean break" with violent protesters, vowing "relentless action" to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The firing of a live round prodded an angry response from social media users, who mocked a police spokesman who praised the "valiant and restrained" actions of officers.
The violence erupted after a nearby peaceful march earlier on Sunday.
Police used tear gas against the black-clad, gas mask-wearing hardcore protesters, who had built barricades and thrown bricks and Molotov cocktails at lines of riot cops.
DEPLOYED WATER CANNON
Police confirmed they deployed two water cannon vehicles "to stop violent acts".
The jets hit the barricades as demonstrators ran for cover.
"The antagonism between the movement and the police is too big to fix now," said a 20-year-old protester.
The weekend of violence - unrest also flickered across the city on Saturday - banished several days of peaceful action, which included a human chain across the city.
With almost daily protests planned throughout the week and another major rally expected on Saturday, the movement shows no sign of abating.
The protests were sparked by the city's Beijing-backed government's attempt to pass an extradition Bill to China but has evolved into a wider call for greater democracy and police accountability.
Last week, Mrs Carrie Lam, the city's embattled leader, made vague promises of opening a "dialogue" to find a pathway through the unprecedented political confrontation.
On Saturday, she met with grandees from politics and education to discuss the issue.
"But can we point to a person who can honestly be regarded as representing the protesters in the streets? No. Not a single one," said pan-democrat lawmaker James To Kun Sun, who supports the movement. - AFP
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