Hong Kong tempts China's ire as pro-independence protests take violent turn

Police fired tear gas at protesters who had surrounded China's local government headquarters and defaced the national emblem

From stick-wielding mobs who attacked activists to one pro-independence group accused of stockpiling explosives, the latest unrest in Hong Kong has prompted new fears that protesters and the China-backed government are heading toward a violent confrontation.

In one case, Hong Kong residents -- many wearing the black shirts favored by protesters -- were attacked in a train station near the mainland border by groups of men wearing white shirts. In a separate episode, police arrested three men after finding volatile explosives and separatist campaign material in a raid on an industrial area.

Elsewhere, police fired tear gas at protesters who had surrounded