61 nabbed for Mong Kok riot, says Hong Kong police chief, with more arrests to come
At press conference, police display weapons used by the protesters, including sharpened bamboo sticks, gas cans, bricks, self-made shields and body armour
Hong Kong’s police chief yesterday defended one of his officers for firing shots into the air during Monday night’s riots, saying it was to protect a colleague who was under attack by rioters
During the worst of the clashes in Mong Kok, a traffic policeman fired two live rounds into the air as he and his colleagues were set upon by a violent mob.
TIMELINE AND MAP: How the Mong Kok street hawker hygiene clampdown became a full-scale riot
The city has not seen police opening fire in such circumstances in more than three decades, and the incident has raised questions as to whether it was justified or any rules had been broken.
In a press conference yesterday afternoon, Police Commissioner Stephen Lo Wa-chung said the officer who opened fire had made a judgement that the officer considered correct, based on the circumstances on the ground at the time.
“Rioters attacked a police officer with hard objects and threatened his life. He fell on the ground and was kept being attacked by the rioters,” Lo said.