Clashes break out between HK protesters, residents
4 Oct 2014 5:41 AM IST
The clashes in Kowloon’s crowded Mong Kok neighbourhood revived the possibility that the weeklong standoff might turn violent despite an attempt by the city’s leader to defuse the situation.Police were struggling to keep order as the two sides tussled in a tense standoff. The visibly older people trying to force pro-democracy protesters out were yelling, shoving and at times trying to drag younger protesters away.
The democracy activists linked arms and held hands as they tried to stand their ground against the huge crowd. At one point, police brought in a stretcher to take away a young man, although it was unclear why. The police themselves were linking arms in an attempt to keep those agitating to get the area cleared of protesters from pushing into their ranks. The protesters and many onlookers were filming the confrontations; one man tried to grab a video camera from a demonstrator’s hand.
The protesters, led mostly by university students, have been in the streets since last Friday, pushing for the Chinese government to reverse its recent decision requiring a mostly pro-Beijing committee approve candidates for Hong Kong’s first election to choose the territory’s leader in 2017. The demonstrators want open nominations.
The democracy activists linked arms and held hands as they tried to stand their ground against the huge crowd. At one point, police brought in a stretcher to take away a young man, although it was unclear why. The police themselves were linking arms in an attempt to keep those agitating to get the area cleared of protesters from pushing into their ranks. The protesters and many onlookers were filming the confrontations; one man tried to grab a video camera from a demonstrator’s hand.
The protesters, led mostly by university students, have been in the streets since last Friday, pushing for the Chinese government to reverse its recent decision requiring a mostly pro-Beijing committee approve candidates for Hong Kong’s first election to choose the territory’s leader in 2017. The demonstrators want open nominations.
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