Chaos in Mong Kok as police use batons, pepper spray to repel surge of protesters
Chaotic scenes continued overnight in multiple locations across Mong Kok, after heated clashes between police using pepper spray and wielding batons and protesters brought traffic to a standstill once again.
Clashes between police and protesters continued into the early hours of Saturday morning in multiple locations across Mong Kok, causing a blockade of both Nathan Road and Argyle Street.
By 1am, police had pulled back from the crowd and formed a cordon at the junction of Argyle Street and Nathan Road.
After midnight, police were forced to retreat from Nathan Road northwards, as more protesters flooded into the area - with several picking up metal barriers as they arrived.
At Lung Wo Road in Admiralty, protesters dashed onto the road in a bid to stop traffic. Police with masks and batons pushed protesters back onto the pavement and warned then they would be arrested if they tried to block the road again.
Occupy Central movement issued a statement condemning Chief Executive CY Leung’s administration for launching clearance operations before dialogue with students resumed.
“The clearance has triggered off a new round of occupations and worsened the relationship between police and citizens,” the statement read.