Hong Kong protesters hold sit-in at high school after student shot
Hong Kong protesters hold sit-in at high school of 18-year-old demonstrator shot in the chest at point-blank range by policeman in clash that shocked the strife-ridden city
- Hong Kong is on lockdown after clashes erupted in a dozen places as police urged public to stay at home
- Student Tsang Chi-kin, 18, was shot in the chest by a police officer who was using live ammunition
- Senior officials claimed the officer was correct to open fire with live ammunition as their life was in danger
- Hospital staff said Tsang had been shot in the chest and was in a stable condition
Hundreds of Hong Kongers staged a sit-in on Monday outside the school of a protester who was shot by police as authorities said the wounded 18-year-old was in a stable condition.
The international finance hub has been left reeling from the shooting, the first time a demonstrator has been struck with a live round in nearly four months of increasingly violent pro-democracy protests.
Hong Kong was battered by the most sustained political violence of the year on Tuesday as China celebrated 70 years of Communist Party rule with a massive military parade in Beijing.
Students held a sit in outside the secondary school where protester Tsang Chi-kin was shot and wounded by police
According to hospital authorities Tsang is in a stable condition after being shot by a police officer yesterday
Demonstrators complained that the officer approached Tsang with his weapon drawn before he opened fire
Hong Kong police used live ammunition yesterday for the first time against pro-democracy supporters
Dozens of young people sat down in front of the school despite the threat posed by armed police officers
Demonstrators held protect against the Chinese Communist Party who were celebrating 70 years in power
One demonstrator, 18-year-old Tsang Chi-kin was shot in the chest by a police officer yesterday during the protests
The spiralling violence underscored seething public anger against Beijing’s rule and shifted the spotlight from China’s carefully choreographed birthday party, which was designed to showcase its status as a global superpower.
Running battles raged for hours across multiple locations as hardcore protesters hurled rocks and petrol bombs. Police responded for the most part with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon.
In Tsuen Wan district, a police officer fired his weapon at close range into the chest of Tsang Chi-kin, 18, as his unit was attacked by protesters armed with poles and umbrellas.
Police said the officer feared for his life on a day that saw his colleagues fire five warning shots from their pistols throughout the city.
But protest groups hit back, saying the officer charged into the melee with his firearm drawn, and condemned the increasing use of live rounds.
‘HK (has) fallen into a de facto police state,’ prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong tweeted. ‘The paramilitary security forces completely took over this city.’
The shooting was captured on video that quickly went viral, further fanning the flames.
Senior police defended the use of live ammunition claiming the protesters threatened the life of the officer
A friend and classmate of Tsang, who gave his first name Marco, said the 18-year-old was a keen basketballer who was infuriated by sliding freedoms in Hong Kong and the police response to the protests
Outside Tsang’s school on Monday students chanted slogans and held pictures of the incident, taken form videos posted on Facebook.
‘No rioters, only tyranny,’ they chanted, alongside other popular protest slogans.
One activist, her face covered in the now ubiquitous gas masks worn by protesters, sat next to a sign that read: ‘With blood tears and sweat we shall stride ahead.’
Tsang, who was filmed trying to strike the officer with a pole as he was shot, was taken to a nearby hospital in a critical condition but authorities said his condition has since improved.
‘According to the latest information of the Hospital Authority, the current condition of the man is stable,’ the government said in a statement.
A friend and classmate of Tsang, who gave his first name Marco, said the 18-year-old was a keen basketballer who was infuriated by sliding freedoms in Hong Kong and the police response to the protests.
‘If he sees any problems or anything unjust, he would face it bravely, speak up against it, instead of bearing it silently,’ Marco told AFP.
Hong Kong’s police chief Stephen Lo said police would investigate the circumstances of the shooting but he defended his officers’ conduct.
Police said 25 officers were injured in the National Day clashes, including some who suffered chemical burns from a corrosive liquid that was thrown at them by protesters. The liquid also hit some journalists.
Hospital authorities said more than 60 people were admitted on Tuesday, two in a critical condition. Police made some 160 arrests throughout the day.
Hong Kong’s protests were ignited by a now-scrapped plan to allow extraditions to the mainland.
But after Beijing and local leaders took a hardline they snowballed into a wider movement calling for democratic freedoms and police accountability.
With Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam seemingly unwilling or unable to find a political solution, police have been left to battle increasingly radicalised protesters.
Sentiment is hardening on all sides.
Protesters and some local residents routinely shout ‘triads’ and other abuse at officers who are often heard calling demonstrators ‘cockroaches’ and other slurs in return.
The protest movement’s main demands are an independent inquiry into police actions, an amnesty for those arrested and universal suffrage.
But Beijing and Lam have said they are unwilling to meet those demands.
A male Hong Kong protester has been shot in the chest by a live bullet during clashes. Footage above captures the moment
The wounded activist is seen being taken to hospital. He is said to be in critical condition after being shot in the chest
A handout picture shows the injured activist being given first aid before being taken to Princess Margaret Hospital
A Hong Kong police officer who shot an 18-year-old protester in the chest was in fear for his life, authorities claimed last night.
Tens of thousands of people have been involved in anti-government protests in an effort to challenge Beijing’s leadership who were yesterday celebrating 70 years of Communist Party Power in China.
Police commmissioner Steven Lo said his officer fired a single shot as protesters swarmed towards him.
He described his officer’s action as ‘reasonable and lawful’, claiming he had no other choice but to open fire.
Hong Kong’s hospital authority said the teen was one of two people in critical condition, with a total of 66 injured as fierce clashes between protesters and police wracked China’s freest and most international city.
While officers have fired warning shots in the air on multiple occasions during months of unrest, this was the first time a protester has been struck by gunfire. The shooting marked a dramatic surge in violence that spread chaos to multiple areas.
Lo said there was no order for police to shoot if they are under threat but they can use appropriate force. He described protesters as ‘rioters’, saying they have committed widespread criminal acts – from attacking police officers, including 25 who were injured, to destroying public property and vandalizing shops and banks linked to China.
He said: ‘The officer was under attack, his life was threatened. … He made a very quick decision and shot the assailant. I believe it was his best judgment at the time.’
He added that although the officer also had a rifle for rubber bullets, the event unfolded very quickly. He didn’t answer questions on why the officer fired at the teen’s chest and not his limbs.
Apart from the incident in Tsuen Wan, where the teen was shot, he said officers also fired five warning shots in four other areas, although no one was injured. Police arrested more than 180 protesters, he added.
The injured demonstrator was hit in the chest by a police officer in the city’s Tsuen Wan district this afternoon and was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital.
The bullet punctured one of his lungs and was lodged in his chest only an inch from his heart. The teenager is a secondary school pupil and was in critical condition, according to reports.
According to latest reports, surgeons have removed the main part of the bullet from the teenager. His heart, liver and spine were not affected by the shot.
Footage posted by The Hong Kong University Students’ Union shows a police officer drawing the gun and shooting a male activist at close range as the protester beat the officer with a baton.
UK has called the use of live ammunition ‘disproportionate’.
Sky News footage shows a man bleeding from his head during clashes on Tuesday as the city descended into lockdown
One policeman has been filmed shouting at random onlookers, threatening to throw Molotov cocktails at ‘rioter’. It is not clear if the policeman pictured is the one threatening onlookers
Motorbikes are on fire after they were hit with a molotov cocktail during a protest on China’s National Day, in Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong
A riot policeman detains an anti-government protester during the widespread demonstrations on China’s National Day on Tuesday
A video circulating on Facebook shows the agonising victim asking onlookers to help him as he lay on the ground
The man was shot in the chest by a police officer whose unit had been attacked by demonstrators, said a police source
Footage shared by The Education University of Hong Kong Students’ Union on Facebook shows a police officer threatening to throw petrol bombs at ‘rioters’ while yelling and pointing his baton at random bystanders on a street in Hong Kong
Strife-torn Hong Kong today marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China with defiant ‘Day of Grief’ protests (pictured)
Strife-torn Hong Kong today marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China with defiant ‘Day of Grief’ protests.
Fresh clashes occurred between pro-democracy activists and police after tens of thousands of demonstrators ignored a ban on marches and took to the streets.
Organisers said at least 100,000 people marched along a broad city thoroughfare in defiance of a police ban.
The protests quickly became ugly.
A black-clad protester walks past flames rising from a fire in Hong Kong after the city witnessed a day of blood and violence
Police charge towards protesters in Wan Chai. Protesters were filmed throwing eggs at President Xi’s portrait in the area
Police fire tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Officers fired three live bullets today during clashes
Black-clad protestors stand surrounded by smoke from tear gas shells in Hong Kong on what they call the ‘Day of Grief’
While the rest of China is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Communist regime, Hong Kong has been plunged into chaos
The financial hub was turned into multiple battlefields with pro-democracy protesters hurling petrol bombs and anti-riot police firing live gunshots as well as tear gas.
Clashes took place in at least 12 areas across the city. Live ammunition was fired in two locations and tear gas was fired in at least six districts.
More than a third of the city’s subway station were closed during the chaos.
The city’s leader Carrie Lam was in Beijing today to observe the grand military parade in celebration of the Communist regime.
A riot police officer points his projectile launcher as his colleagues detain demonstrators in the Sha Tin district of Hong Kong
Police detain demonstrators in the Sha Tin district of Hong Kong after the city was turned into battlefields due to unrest
A protester sets fire to the Chinese national flag in the Sha Tin district as the rest of the country celebrates the National Day
A fire lit by protesters burn in the Sha Tin district of Hong Kong as violent demonstrations take place in the streets of the city
Social media footage shows protesters pelting a portrait of China’s President Xi Jinping with eggs in Hong Kong on Tuesday
People take part in a march in the Causeway Bay in Hong Kong on Tuesday as the city defies Beijing’s National Day festivities
The police officer shot the young protester after his unit was attacked by demonstrators during sustained clashes in the city, a police source said.
‘An officer discharged his firearm after coming under attack and a protester was struck in the chest in Tsuen Wan district today,’ the source said, requesting anonymity.
The protester was shot at around 4:10pm on Tai Ho Street and was taken to hospital about 20 minutes later.
A video circulating on Facebook shows the agonising victim asking onlookers to help him as he lay on the ground.
He said: ‘Send me to hospital. My chest is hurting. I need to go to hospital.’
He said in the clip that his name was Tsang Tsz Kin.
The protester is a fifth-form pupil in a secondary school, a family member of his told Apple Daily.
A Hospital Authority spokeswoman told AFP that 15 people had been admitted to hospitals across the city following today’s clashes, one of whom was in a critical condition at Princess Margaret.
She would not confirm if the critical patient was the man who had been shot.
A spokesperson of Hong Kong police said the officer was forced to shoot the ‘assailant’ to save his and his colleagues’ lives.
Police described the incident as ‘heart-breaking’, adding they did not wish to see anyone injured.
The spokesperson then urged: ‘All rioters must stop all illegal acts. Police will continue to enforce the law seriously.’
Police appealed to the public to stay at home and avoid going outdoors in the ‘dangerous’ situation.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that the use of live ammunition by Hong Kong police was disproportionate.
‘Whilst there is no excuse for violence, the use of live ammunition is disproportionate, and only risks inflaming the situation,’ Raab said in a statement.
‘This incident underlines the need for a constructive dialogue to address the legitimate concerns of the people of Hong Kong. We need to see restraint and a de-escalation from both protesters and the Hong Kong authorities.’
Riot police is seen getting ready for clashes during an anti-government protest in Sham Shui Po district in Hong Kong
Anti-government protesters set tires on fire as they occupy a road during a banned protest on National Day in Hong Kong
An anti-government protester shelters with a traffic sign during a demonstration as multiple rallies take place in the city
Thousands of black-clad protesters marched in central Hong Kong as part of multiple pro-democracy rallies on Tuesday
Protesters take cover after police fired tear gas during a demonstration in the Sham Shui Po area in Hong Kong on Tuesday
In a separate incident, a video clip shared by the editorial board of The Education University of Hong Kong Students’ Union shows an anti-riot police shouting at citizens emotionally.
The uniformed man chanted to bystanders: ‘I am going to throw petrol bombs, throw petrol bombs, throw petrol bombs at rioters.’
Hong Kong police also fired live bullets during a clash with anti-government protesters in Yau Ma Tei.
Police fired two warning shots outside the metro station this afternoon to disperse activists after a number of isolated officers had been attacked by the crowd, according to local media.
Demonstrators fled after the gun shots and some officers sustained bleeding on the head, reported Hong Kong’s Now TV.
Another male protester in Wong Tai Sin was shot in the left eye by what’s believed to be a bean bag round, reported 01HK.
The city’s anti-riot officers have been mostly using less lethal bean bag rounds to drive away protesters during anti-government rallies in the past three months. They fired the first live gun shot on August 25 during clashes.
Protesters were also filmed throwing eggs at President Xi’s portrait outside a sports ground in Wan Chai while police fired tear gas during scuffles. Some activists were also seen burning a Chinese national flag.
Protesters burn a Chinese national flag during a march through the streets of Hong Kong to voice their anger towards Beijing
An anti-government protester tosses back a tear gas grenade during clashes with police after defying a ban to demonstrate
Riot police detain an anti-government protester during a demonstration in Sha Tin district as Hong Kong activists defy Beijing
Riot police fired tear gas to disperse pro-democracy protesters in several districts in Hong Kong amid multiple rallies
Battles between hundreds of black-clad protesters and police occurred in multiple locations, turning streets into battlefields
Dozens of police officers formed a security cordon, backed by a water cannon truck, to prevent protesters from advancing to Beijing’s liaison office in the city.
Battles between hundreds of black-clad protesters and police occurred in multiple locations, turning streets into battlefields.
Police fired multiple rounds of tear gas at the Wong Tai Sin, Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun areas as protesters hurled gas bombs, bricks and other objects in their direction.
Police said protesters used corrosive fluid in Tuen Mun, injuring officers and some reporters.
The city was already under tight security, and more subway stations were shuttered as the violence spread.
Ceremonial ‘joss paper’ used in memory of those who died for democracy flutters around a protester wearing a Guy Fawkes mask during a demonstration in the Sham Shui Po on Tuesday. Hong Kong protesters have called today the ‘Day of Grief’
Protesters pave the streets with fake bank notes they usually use at funerals, tossing wads of them into the air as they march
Protesters set fire to debris in the street during an anti-government demonstration in the Admiralty area in Hong Kong
Police use blue-dyed water to disperse anti-government protesters in Hong Kong after thousands took to the street
Activists are determined to overshadow Beijing’s festivities, using the anniversary to step up their nearly four months of protests pushing for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability.
Thousands marched through the streets of Hong Kong island this afternoon, despite authorities rejecting an application to hold a rally there as police warned people ‘to leave the scene as soon as possible’.
Demonstrators chanted slogans including ‘fight for freedom, stand with hong kong’ and some donned the Guy Fawkes masks as a symbol of defiance against the government.
Protesters take evasive action as police fire tear gas in the Sha Tin district. Hong Kong has been plunged into further chaos
A security clampdown to thwart violence that would embarrass Chinese President Xi Jinping failed to deter the protests
Thousands of people confronted police across the city, the largest number of simultaneous protests since early June
The movement has snowballed into an anti-Chinese campaign with demands for direct elections for the city’s leaders
Protesters paved the streets of central Hong Kong with fake bank notes they usually use at funerals, tossing wads of them into the air as they marched in black.
The notes, many marked ‘Hell Bank Note’, were a vivid expression of what many protesters say feels like a day of mourning for them as Communist leaders in Beijing celebrate 70 years in power.
Smaller crowds rallied in a number of other districts with clashes quickly breaking out.
Hong Kong police use pepper-spray during a clash with pro-democracy protesters who were carrying a mock coffin
Police fire tear gas at anti-government protesters at Sha Tin after activists participated in a banned march on Tuesday
Police fire tear gear to disperse protesters in Tsuen Wan district during a rally that has marred China’s 70th National Day
Battles between hundreds of black-clad protesters and police occurred in multiple locations, turning streets into battlefields
In Tsuen Wan, masked protesters used umbrellas and sticks to beat riot officers after they made a series of arrests. The officers retreated into a nearby town hall after they came under a barrage of projectiles.
In Wong Tai Sin, police fired brief volleys of tear gas against protesters who had blocked nearby roads.
The biggest march remained on Hong Kong island, a frequent battlefield between police and protesters where multiple malls and shops remained shuttered for the public holiday.
‘Three months on and our five demands have yet to be achieved. We need to continue our fight,’ a protester, wearing a Guy Fawkes or ‘V for Vendetta’ mask, told AFP.
Anti-government protesters hold umbrellas – a symbol of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement – while marching Tuesday
Multiple rallies are taking place in Hong Kong in defiance of a police ban as protesters vent their anger at central government
Umbrellas are seen on the floor as anti-government activists march through the streets in protest on National Day
Anti-government protesters build a barricade in Sha Tin district as they ready themselves for possible clashes with police
Anti-government protesters walk with a flag that reads ‘liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times’ during a rally on Tuesday
Anti-government protesters with the Guy Fawkes masks look at crowds marching past police headquarters in Hong Kong
The protests came as lavish celebrations were taking place in Beijing, including a huge military parade through Tiananmen Square under the gaze of China’s strongman President Xi Jinping.
Among those watching the parade was Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who has historically low approval ratings at home as public anger boils over Beijing’s increased control of the semi-autonomous city.
Millions have hit the streets in record-breaking numbers while hardcore activists have repeatedly clashed with police, in the biggest challenge to China’s rule since the city’s 1997 handover by Britain.
In a vivid illustration of the political insecurity now coursing through Hong Kong, city officials watched a morning harbourside flag-raising ceremony from the safety of the nearby convention centre.
Members of the media (in yellow vests) look on as Hong Kong police fire water cannon from the central government complex toward protesters who have defied a ban on protests and gathered in the street in the Admiralty area in Hong Kong
An anti-government protester walks in front of graffiti during a protest in Sha Tin district as the city is rocked by fresh rallies
An anti-government protester walks in a cloud of tear gas during a protest in Sha Tin district after clashes broke out
Since the 1997 handover, officials had always attended the ceremony outside, even during torrential downpours.
But popular protests that erupted in June have made it increasingly risky for officials to appear in public.
A flag-raising ceremony on July 1 – the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover – was also watched from indoors as protesters flooded the streets and later laid siege to the city’s legislature.
Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung delivered an address in which he praised China’s development over the last 70 years.
Xi Jinping, wearing a grey jacket in echoes of modern China’s founding father Mao Zedong, watches the parade from the Gate of Heavenly Peace, where Mao proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China 70 years before
China has the second-highest military budget in the world, behind only the USA, and it has been growing at 10 per cent every year for the last decade. Pictured are Chinese troops on parade holding what appears to be a QBZ-03 assault rifle, though could be a new design after rumours began circulating last year that it was replacing the two-decade-old weapon
A large part of China’s military budget goes towards maintaining the largest standing army in the world, with over 2million men and women in uniform. Pictured are soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army holding bullpup QBZ-95 rifles while marching through the streets of Beijing during a rehearsal
Chinese troops march past Tiananmen Square during a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing
Another never-before-seen weapon on display was the JL-2 submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile. The weapon has an estimated range of 5,600 miles and is capable of delivering nuclear warheads, though exactly how many remains unclear
Unveiled for the first time at the parade was the Dongfeng-100 intermediate range missile, a hypersonic weapon that is designed to be used against large warships. It is the development of weapons such as this that caused America to back out of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia, saying it needed to be able to combat them with missiles of its own
While Hong Kong is rocked by yet another round of rallies and clashes, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (left) sits behind former Macau chief executive Edmund Ho as they attend a military parade in Tiananmen Square in Beijing
But he said officials recognised they needed ‘new thinking to try to address deep-rooted problems’ in Hong Kong.
Throughout the morning police ramped up security checks and conducted frequent stop and searches while authorities announced the closure of a dozen subway stations.
But the measures did little to halt crowds appearing in the afternoon.
Rival pro-China rallies were also held.
Beijing supporters wave the Chinese national flags during a celebration ceremony in Hong Kong on the country’s anniversary
Beijing supporters wave Chinese flags on the Star Ferry from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui as the nation celebrate the National Day
A group of pro-China demonstrators display a massive national flag (bottom) and a flag of the Communist Party of China (top)
A China supporter poses with a China national flag after a celebration ceremony in Hong Kong on Tuesday
In the morning, a crowd of some 50 people waved flags and chanted ‘Long live the motherland!’
‘We are Chinese and the whole nation is celebrating,’ Kitty Chan, 30, told AFP.
Hong Kong’s protests were initially sparked by a now scrapped plan to allow extraditions to the mainland but have since snowballed into a much wider movement of popular anger against city leaders and Beijing.
Among the demands made by protesters is an inquiry into the police, an amnesty for the more than 1,500 people arrested and universal suffrage – all of which have been rejected by Beijing and Lam.
Source: Read Full Article