Violence in Mong Kok: Are the protests spinning out of control?
Violent clashes between protesters and police have become a regular occurrence in Mong Kok
Concerns are growing that the Occupy movement in Mong Kok has spun out of control and is on the verge of turning into a riot, after nights of violent clashes since police reclaimed part of the rally site on Friday.
New clashes erupted between protesters and police in Mong Kok early yesterday, just hours after Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced that talks with student leaders were scheduled for tomorrow.
Some protesters tried to remove barricades on the junction of Nathan Road and Argyle Street shortly after midnight, prompting officers to warn them against charging police cordons.
Officers then used batons to counter the protesters' umbrellas. At about the same time, police reinforcements arrived and rushed into the protest zone to push the crowds back.
Images of protesters with blood streaming down their faces circulated on social media.
One protester said he saw plainclothes policemen hitting protesters after they moved into the protest zone. "I saw anti-triad officers hitting protesters with batons. Several protesters suffered head injuries and were bleeding. They also dismantled supply stations," said the protester, who gave his surname as Lo.