Violent clashes in Mong Kok cast doubt on government's plans to break Occupy impasse
Riot police back in action as clearance of Mong Kok barriers riles crowd; government seeks a bridge from Beijing's ruling to students' demands
Violent clashes between demonstrators and riot police erupted in Mong Kok last night, casting doubt over what the government said were fresh moves to start talks with students in a bid to end a seemingly intractable impasse over electoral reform that has sparked almost three weeks of unprecedented street protests.
Just hours after police moved in to clear the Mong Kong Kok Occupy site, more than a thousand protesters poured back into the district, clashing with police. Fresh trouble broke out near the government headquarters in Lung Wo Road in Admiralty.
By the early hours of this morning, a section of Nathan Road in Mong Kok was occupied by protesters as police moved to stop them blocking the junction with Argyle Street again.
Riot police used pepper spray and batons in a bid to drive back the protesters and the clashes led to a number of arrests. Among them was award-winning international photo-journalist Paula Bronstein, who was detained after jumping onto a car to take pictures. Her arrest was later condemned by the Foreign Correspondents Club, which issued a statement accusing the police of "intimidating'' journalists.
Yan Chan, who was in the front row when the clash broke out, said police's handling was inappropriate. "They started using pepper spray very quickly," said the 24-year-old. "There was no fighting back by the protesters at all."