Hong Kong police fired volley after volley of tear gas to break up thousands of anti-government protesters, most dressed in black and wearing face masks, in Victoria Park, a traditional venue for rallies and vigils, and surrounding streets.
It was an early, feverish response to nip in the bud a rally billed as an "emergency call" for autonomy for the former British colony that was promised its freedoms when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
The fast-moving crowds headed to the park through the Causeway Bay shopping district, some pulling up metal fencing and using a football goal to