Hong Kong anti-government protesters marched through Christmas-decorated shopping centres on Wednesday, chanting pro-democracy slogans and forcing one mall to close early, as police fired tear gas to disperse crowds gathering on nearby streets.
The latest protests began on Christmas Eve, with police battling activists who were throwing petrol bombs.
Riot police were out in force on Wednesday at various hot spots and pepper sprayed protesters inside Sha Tin’s New Town Plaza, outside Langham Place in Mong Kok, and at Telford Plaza in Kowloon Bay riot police chased after protesters and sprayed them at close range. Earlier around 200 protesters gathered at Telford Plaza at 8pm and sang their anthem, Glory to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said many residents and tourists had seen their Christmas celebrations “ruined by a group of reckless and selfish rioters”. “Such illegal acts have not only dampened the festive mood but also adversely affected local businesses,” she said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
The protests began in June, focusing on a bill that would have allowed the extradition of suspects to mainland China. The bill was later withdrawn, but demonstrations have since evolved into a broader movement demanding investigations into police brutality and democratic reform.
