HONG KONG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2019) Hong Kong police charged protesters lingering in a square in the commercial Wan Chai district after a series of skirmishes marred the anti-government protest on Sunday.
The operation to disperse protesters was launched in response to radical demonstrators hurtling petrol bombs and charging police cordons.
Police were forced to pull back at one point after pressure from reporters, before coming back to fire tear gas at the remaining protesters without a warning, a Sputnik correspondent said.
The demonstrators left the square chanting angrily at police.
An angry mob was also seen repeatedly assaulting a man suspected to be an undercover police officer. He was taken to a restaurant and treated by first responders.
Over the past few months, Hong Kong has been facing a wave of rallies against proposed amendments to the city's extradition law. Protests often turn violent after demonstrators begin engaging in clashes with the police. In early September, the controversial extradition bill was formally withdrawn but protesters continued rallying, demanding universal suffrage, an end to legal procedures against fellow demonstrators and an investigation into alleged police violence. The law enforcers strongly deny any claims of disproportionate use of force.
Beijing views the situation in Hong Kong as a result of foreign interference in China's domestic affairs and expresses full support for the actions of the local authorities.
