Hong Kong police fire tear gas, water cannon

Hong Kong police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of protesters, many wearing banned face masks, who had converged on the Kowloon harbour-front hotel district on Sunday to denounce perceived police brutality during months of unrest. There was a standoff as dusk began to fall in the Chinese-ruled city, with pro-democracy protesters and bemused tourists gathered on the pavements of the shopping and hotel artery of Nathan Road, which police had earlier cleared in slow-moving cordons.

Riot police stood by outside the Chungking Mansions highrise warren of South Asian restaurants and backpacker hostels, shields and batons at the ready. Protesters shouted obscenities in colourful Cantonese at “black police”, referring to perceived over-use of force. “Fight for Hong Kong!” protesters shouted, “five demands, not one less”, a reference to demands for universal suffrage and an independent inquiry into police actions, among other things.

Police later moved away, leaving protesters, pedestrians and tourists alike to take over the street under the neon lights. Then one water cannon moved in, firing high into the air and down sidestreets. The number of protesters had grown by the minute earlier in the afternoon, streaming down Nathan Road to the water’s edge, in front of the dramatic backdrop of Hong Kong island, but many fled after the tear gas and pepper spray were fired.

Ambulances took one man away on a stretcher. The need for treatment was not immediately clear. Police detained some protesters as they gathered, many yelling profanities while police used loud-hailers to warn others away. The crowds at the waterfront had largely dispersed after a couple of hours and headed north up Nathan Road, where many luxury brand shops closed their shutters.