Hong Kong protesters and police face off in a familiar cycle.
On one end of a Hong Kong street, protesters dressed in black ducked behind umbrellas and makeshift barricades, occasionally throwing bricks or slinging rocks. On the other end, police decked out in riot gear shouted warnings and fired tear gas.Standoffs between demonstrators and authorities have become a weekly occurrence in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory that has been roiled by a summer of fiery protest.
Several pro-democracy rally participants expressed disappointment in what they viewed as abusive and negligent behavior from police in recent weeks. After thugs dressed in white beat up people inside a commuter rail station, leaving 44 injured, Hong Kong residents accused the police of deliberately being slow to respond. Police, meanwhile, said their resources were stretched because of the ongoing protests.
An undercurrent of fear toward the Communist Party has propelled the nearly two months of protests. After protesters defied police orders to end their Saturday march at a pre-approved time and place, some scaled a flagpole near the iconic Victoria Harbour, removed from it the Chinese national flag, and flung the flag into the water.
A similar act a few weeks ago infuriated authorities in Beijing when demonstrators threw eggs and black paint at the national emblem on the Liaison Office, which represents the mainland government in Hong Kong. China called the vandalism a"violent" act that challenged its authority. Police warned in a press briefing earlier Saturday that those who continued beyond the permitted route would be participating in an illegal, unauthorized assembly. Last week, 44 protesters were charged with rioting, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years.
Clad in their signature hard hats, black shirts and face masks, they once again created barricades with reappropriated road barriers."One two, one two," the protesters chanted as they fell back in step, only to suddenly charge at police minutes later. Police in turn threw canister after canister of tear gas, enveloping the streets with smoke.
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