Riot police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in Hong Kong following a large pro-democracy rally in the city.Officers charged demonstrators who threw objects at police lines.
The clashes came after marchers ignored a designated finish line, continuing on to China’s central government offices and throwing eggs at the building.
Organisers of Sunday’s protest say over 430,000 people took part however police put the figure at 138,000.
Mass protests have been held for weeks, initially over an extradition deal with mainland China but now covering other issues on democracy in Hong Kong.
Late on Sunday, riot police equipped with masks and shields were seen swarming towards protesters close to a ferry terminal on the main island.
Images outside of the liaison office, China’s central government building, show signs covered in graffiti. One of the slogans reads : “You taught us peaceful marches are useless.”
Some protesters also covered the CCTV cameras outside a police station with spray paint.Some pro-democracy protesters were attacked by masked men inside a metro station.
Video footage from the scene in Yuen Long show the group hitting people with sticks.The latest rally was put on edge after a huge haul of explosives was found along with protest leaflets.
On Saturday, a counter-rally in support of the police and against protest violence drew tens of thousands.
Tear-gas, rubber bullets, the trashing of parliament by protesters and sporadic clashes have created the worst crisis in the territory’s recent history.
The Hong Kong government has since suspended trying to pursue the extradition bill.
The former British colony is part of China but run under a “one country, two systems” arrangement that guarantees it a level of autonomy. It has its own judiciary, and a legal system that is independent from mainland China.
Source: BBC News
