Anti-government protests in Hong Kong turned violent after the city police stormed a Mass Transit Railway (MTR) train carriage and hit people inside with batons and used pepper spray on late Saturday evening (local time).
The protesters filled the roads despite police refusing permission for a mass march and rally to mark the fifth anniversary of a decision by China against fully democratic elections in Hong Kong, South China Morning Post reported.
This came a day after the police launched a crackdown by arresting prominent pro-democracy activists, including Joshua Wong and Alex Chow, and at least three lawmakers for their alleged involvement in demonstrations sparked by the now-shelved extradition bill.
Meanwhile, the police said they entered the MTR after receiving reports of protesters vandalising the station and assaulting people. Soon after, many railway services ground to a halt as the MTR announced the suspension of three more lines across the city to prevent protesters from taking cover or using trains to move from one target to the next.
During the protests which entered the 13th consecutive weekend, the streets of the city became battlefields as the demonstrators clashed with the police who fired rounds of tear gas and blue dye from water cannons on them. A source told the Post that the police also fired two live rounds into the air to fight off a violent mob near Victoria Park.
Black-clad demonstrators, some carrying crosses, gathered earlier in the day at a sports stadium in Hong Kong's city centre for what they called a Christian rally, before fanning out into the streets and marching towards the police headquarters in central Wan Chai.
Last Sunday, a policeman fired a live round into the air after he and colleagues were chased and beaten by a mob wielding iron poles in Tsuen Wan. The protesters have vowed to cause chaos at the airport in what could be yet another day of mayhem across the city.
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