Hundreds of supporters of Chinese rule in Hong Kong have clashed with democracy protesters in one of the city's busiest shopping districts.
Counter-protesters stormed the city, angry at the pro-democracy campaign, which has blocked parts of the city.
Police were called to calm tensions between the two groups after reports that banners were ripped up, tents destroyed, water bottles were thrown and some people spat at others in Mong Kok.
Officers formed a human chain to keep the two groups apart.
Some pro-democracy supporters held umbrellas for police - umbrellas having become a symbol of the protests - while Beijing supporters shouted at officers, demanding the protesters be removed.
The pro-China protesters were said to be visibly older than pro-democracy group and yelled, shoved and tried to drag the younger protesters away. Many shouted their anger that the protesters were preventing them from going to work and earning a living.
"Give us Mong Kok back, we Hong Kongers need to eat!" one man shouted as he attempted to remove the barricades.
The students linked arms to stand their ground.
The scuffles were the most chaotic since police used tear gas and pepper spray last weekend to try to disperse protesters pushing for greater electoral reforms for the territory.
In Causeway Bay, another area under student occupation, groups of young men in face masks were forced away from the protesters by police.
Police spokesman Steve Hui appealed to the members of the public to "observe the laws of Hong Kong when they are expressing their views."
1/7
-
Gallery: Hong Kong Clashes As Sit-In Drags On
Pro-democracy protesters gather outside the government offices in Hong Kong
-
The umbrella has become a symbol of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement
-
An anti-protester shouts at pro-democracy demonstrators in an occupied area of Hong Kong
-
Pro-democracy campaigners, mainly students, stand firm
-
Many of the anti-protesters are angry they have not been able to go to work during the protests
-
Police officers try to get a man to let go of a fence guarded by pro-democracy demonstrators
-
The protests are about to enter their second week
Protesters, who are mostly students, said that if authorities did not act to protect peaceful demonstrators, they would go back on an agreement to hold talks with the city government as proposed by Hong Kong's leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
Tens of thousands took to the streets of Hong Kong a week ago to demand democracy in the former British colony, the main issue being a free voting system to choose their new leader in 2017.
Numbers have recently dwindled, however, as people returned to work following a two-day holiday.
Leung Chun-ying agreed to open talks with pro-democracy protesters on Thursday but has refused the give in to their demands that he resign.
Police had warned protesters of serious consequences if they try to block off government buildings and were pictured unloading of what appeared to be tear gas canisters and rubber bullets on Thursday.
After the clashes on Friday, the protesters said they would not meet Mr Leung unless the "organised attacks" on their sit-in are stopped.
The protests are the biggest challenge to China's authority since Britain handed control of Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997.
While Leung may have made a concession in offering talks with the students, he gave no timeframe for when these might take place.
Meanwhile, Beijing has signalled its opposition to the protests with a front-page commentary in the country's official People's Daily.
"For a few consecutive days, some people have been making trouble in Hong Kong, stirring up illegal assemblies in the name of seeking 'real universal suffrage'."
"Such acts have outrightly violated the Basic Law, Hong Kong's law, as well as the principle of the rule of law, and they are doomed to fail."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Hong Kong: Clashes Between Rival Groups
Dengan url
http://terjunbebasopan.blogspot.com/2014/10/hong-kong-clashes-between-rival-groups.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Hong Kong: Clashes Between Rival Groups
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Hong Kong: Clashes Between Rival Groups
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar