Hong Kong protesters hurl petrol bombs at government buildings in latest wave of unrest

An anti-government protester throws back a tear gas canister at the police during a demonstration near Central Government Complex in Hong Kong, China - Reuters

HONG KONG (Reuters): Hong Kong police fired water cannons and volleys of tear gas to disperse protesters throwing petrol bombs at government buildings on Sunday, as months of sometimes violent demonstrations showed no sign of letting up.

Some protesters threw bricks at police outside the Chinese People’s Liberation Army base in the city’s Admiralty district, and tore down and set fire to a red banner proclaiming the 70th anniversary on 1 October of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, in a direct challenge to Beijing.

One water cannon caught fire after being hit by a petrol bomb. The water cannon fired blue jets of water, used elsewhere in the world to help identify protesters later.

“Radical protesters are currently occupying Harcourt Road in Admiralty, vandalising central government offices and repeatedly throwing petrol bombs inside,” police said in a statement. Thousands of protesters, many clad in black masks, caps and shades to obscure their identity, raced through the streets of the financial hub in cat-and-mouse tactics with police, setting street fires and blocking roads in the heart of the city. Authorities moved quickly to douse the fires and police fired volleys of tear gas to disperse protesters, including in the bustling shopping and tourist district of Causeway Bay.

Violence erupted in the district of Fortress Hill on the east of the island as men in white T-shirts, some wielding rods, clashed with anti-government activists.

A heavy police presence could be seen in and around subway stations. Rail operator MTR Corp has become a prime target of vandalism, with activists angry that it closes stations during protests and prevents demonstrators from gathering.

Shops in key protest areas once again shuttered early as more than three months of demonstrations continued to take a toll on business.

The Airport Authority said on Sunday passenger numbers fell 12.4% year-on-year in August to six million. Protesters last month jammed the airport arrivals hall, leading to cancelled or delayed flights as they sought to draw world attention to their fight for democracy. 

But while chaotic scenes of protesters clashing with police have been beamed live to the world – at times under gleaming skyscrapers in the heart of the financial centre – life for many in the Chinese-ruled territory proceeds relatively normally. 

While the turnout on Sunday was smaller than previous weekends, the unrest underscores the defiance of many activists.