Hong Kong’s streets have once again descended into violence as protesters clashed with police who fought back the masses with riot shields, batons and pepper spray.
Thousands of demonstrators marched on the border town of Sheung Shui today to rail against Chinese traders, tapping into the recent anger over proposed extradition laws to swell their support.
The march began peacefully but it wasn’t long before nasty skirmishes broke out when protesters began lobbing hard hats at officers who retaliated by clobbering the demonstrators.
Dramatic pictures show masked protesters scrapping with baton-wielding police who are seen wrestling people to the ground.
The demonstrators used umbrellas to shield themselves but some suffered stinging injuries, including one man seen receiving treatment in a pool of his own blood.
A photojournalist falls over during clashes between protesters and police at an anti-parallel trading march in Sheung Shui district in Hong Kong
Dramatic pictures from today show umbrella-wielding protesters charging at police who fight them back with batons and riot gear
Thousands of demonstrators marched on the border town of Sheung Shui today to rail against Chinese traders, tapping into the anger which sparked mammoth rallies opposing proposed extradition laws
Hong Kong’s streets have once again descended into violence as protesters clashed police who fought back the masses with riot shields, batons and pepper spray
Civil unrest has plagued Hong Kong this summer as the former British colony tries to face down its biggest political crisis since it became a Chinese territory in 1997.
Protesters used the widespread fury over the hated extradition bill to drum up numbers to demonstrate against so-called ‘parallel traders’ in Sheung Shui who buy bulk quantities of duty-free goods, which they then carry back into China to sell.
The small-time mainland traders have long been a source of anger among some in Hong Kong who argue they have fuelled inflation, dodged taxes, diluted the town’s identity, and caused a spike in property prices.
It is another example of what Hong Kong citizens see as bowing to Beijing, saw a backlash in the form of violent street protests.
Sheung Shui resident Ryan Lai, 50, said: ‘Our lovely town has become chaos. We don’t want to stop travel and buying, but please, just make it orderly and legal.
‘The extradition bill was the tipping point for us to come out. We want Sheung Shui back.’
The demonstrators used umbrellas to shield themselves but some suffered stinging injuries, including one man seen receiving treatment in a pool of his own blood
The protests were aimed at so-called ‘parallel traders’ in Sheung Shui who buy bulk quantities of duty-free goods, which they then carry back into China to sell
Civil unrest has plagued Hong Kong this summer as the former British colony tries to face down its biggest political crisis since it became a Chinese territory in 1993
Hundreds stormed the legislature on July 1 to oppose the now-suspended extradition bill that would have allowed criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to China to face trial.
Critics see the bill as a threat to Hong Kong’s rule of law. Chief Executive Carrie Lam this week said the bill was ‘dead’ after having suspended it last month, but opponents vow to settle for nothing short of its formal withdrawal.
Protests against the bill had largely taken place in the central business district, but demonstrators have recently begun to look elsewhere to widen support by taking up narrower, more domestic issues.
Amy Chan, a 25-year-old bank employee who joined today’s march, called it a continuing action following up on the momentum of the anti-extradition law protests.
‘There isn’t an anti-extradition protest every day to keep us going,’ she said. ‘I hope that through today’s action, people in Hong Kong will not forget that there are actually many other social issues waiting to be solved.’
Anti-extradition protesters were planning another demonstration on Sunday in the town of Sha Tin, in the so-called New Territories between Hong Kong Island and the border with China.
The rally tapped in to the anger seen towards the extradition bill, which it used to drum up mammoth numbers from today’s march
Police clad with riot gear and armed with shields were deployed to keep the peace at today’s march, which descended into violence
Protests against the bill had largely taken place in the central business district, but demonstrators have recently begun to look elsewhere to widen support by taking up narrower, more domestic issues