Hong Kong, March 1 (IANS) Hong Kong police on Sunday said they had arrested 115 people after a night of chaos that marked the first major outbreak of anti-government protest violence since the start of the coronavirus crisis in the city.
Seventy-one men and 44 women, aged 15 to 54, were detained on suspicion of taking part in unauthorised assemblies, possession of offensive weapons and instruments fit for unlawful purpose, arson, attacking police officers and obstructing them in the execution of their duties, reports the South China Morning Post newspaper.
The incident in Mong Kok occurred on Saturday night after about 100 protesters gathered to block Nathan Road, marking six months since major clashes on August 31, 2019.
The crowd grew in size later into the night.
According to the police, protesters threw bricks, stones, bamboo sticks and other hard objects at an officer, who pulled out his gun as he believed his life was in danger.
The officer suffered injuries to his head, arms and legs, while another policeman was also attacked with bricks, and sustained injuries to his arms.
Police had arrived at the scene at around 8 p.m. and used non-lethal weapons to disperse the crowds and clear the roadblock near Prince Edward MTR station, firing about 10 rounds of tear gas, said the South China Morning Post report.
A fire was set on the road, but firefighters soon put it out.
Since June last year, Hong Kong has been gripped by often-violent clashes between anti-government protesters and police, sparked by a piece of extradition legislation which officials have since withdrawn.
On August 31, 2019 the police stormed Prince Edward station to chase and arrest protesters, some of whom were injured in the raid.
It sparked public concerns over whether officers had used excessive force.
–IANS
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