Hong Kong riot police yesterday clashed with pro-democracy protesters for a third straight day, as the territory’s leader warned that the global financial hub was nearing a “very dangerous situation” and a rare strike caused transport chaos.
Clouds of tear gas billowed across multiple locations yesterday afternoon as the territory buckled under a general strike, which protesters said showed they still have broad public support following two months of unrest.
In a rare public appearance since the crisis began, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) warned protesters she would not cave to their demands.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“[They] have seriously undermined Hong Kong’s law and order and are pushing our city, the city that we all love and many of us helped to build, to the verge of a very dangerous situation,” Lam said.
She later referenced chants by protesters for a “revolution,” describing this as a challenge to the “one country, two systems” framework under which Hong Kong has been ruled since it returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997.
“I dare say they are trying to destroy Hong Kong,” Lam said.
Photo: AFP
The Chinese State Council said it planned to hold a press conference today.
Lam spoke on a day that saw widespread civil disobedience across the territory. Protesters descended on subway stations during morning rush hour, deliberately keeping open doors to stop trains departing and paralyzing large parts of a network that millions of people use daily.
In the afternoon they held simultaneous rallies at seven locations and besieged multiple police stations, stretching the resources of a force that has become a lightning rod for public anger.
Tear gas was fired in four separate locations, making yesterday’s clashes the most widespread so far.
The most sustained clashes occurred outside the Legislative Council — where protesters used giant slingshots to launch bricks — and in the working-class district of Wong Tai Sin.
In a briefing that highlighted the longevity of the protests, police said they had fired more than 1,000 rounds of tear gas and 160 rubber bullets since rallies began on June 9, with 420 people arrested and 139 officers injured so far.
However, the protesters remain unbowed.
“Support for the political strike today seems strong and it has been bolstered further by the escalating violence between the police and protesters,” political analyst Dixon Wong said.
The strike hit the vital aviation sector.
More than 160 flights at Hong Kong’s airport, one of the world’s busiest, were listed as canceled yesterday afternoon. Many were with Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flag carrier.
The airline did not give a reason for the cancelations, but its flight attendants’ union confirmed some of its members had walked out.
Some key roads were also blocked and many shops across the territory were shuttered, including big-name fashion outlets in the central commercial district.
The strike led to some scuffles between angry commuters and protesters at crowded subway stations, with videos circulating across social media highlighting tensions throughout the territory.
One video, verified by Agence France-Presse, showed a car smashing its way through a protester roadblock in the northern town of Yuen Long.
Another showed a taxi ramming protesters who hurled projectiles.
While some locals were angered by the disruptions, others said they supported the action.
“As long as the government doesn’t respond then for sure the movement will escalate,” a civil servant, who gave his surname as Leung, said as he tried to make his way to work.
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