HK protesters return to the streets

HONG KONG: Police fired tear gas and pepper spray in Hong Kong on Sunday as tens of thousands of black-clad protesters flooded into the streets, a week after pro-democracy candidates scored a landslide local election victory.

The rally heralded an end to a rare lull and a return to the large-scale demonstrations that Hong Kongers have staged for nearly six months, fuelled by growing fears that authoritarian China is stamping out the city’s liberties.

It also marked a resumption of the increasingly violent confrontations between protesters and police, with officers shooting volleys of tear gas at crowds that included children.

The day’s main rally in the Tsim Sha Tsui neighbourhood was one of three called for Sunday, as protesters seek to keep pressure on the government after the November 24 district council elections.

“The government are still not listening to us so the protests will go on, they will not stop,” said a 20-year-old student who gave only his surname, Chen.

“It is hard to predict what will happen. But the people are still very angry and want change.” The rally started peacefully, with people flooding to the waterside neighbourhood by ferry and train.

“Never forget why you started,” read a banner carried by protesters taking part in the march. A little girl with her hair in pigtails led chants reiterating the movement’s demands for direct elections of the city legislature and leadership. But as part of the march ran into a phalanx of police, protesters were told to move back and warned they were straying from the permitted route.