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Protesters trash a mahjong parlour in Tsuen Wan.
Groups of angry protesters vented their anger on Wednesday night after a secondary school student was shot with a live round a day earlier.
Following the protest violence and chaos that marred China’s National Day celebrations on October 1, thousands took to the streets again, with students boycotting classes and demonstrators taking over shopping malls to express outrage over the first use of lethal force by police in nearly four months of civil unrest.
As darkness fell, angry protesters dug up bricks, blocked roads, started fires, vandalised train stations and targeted mainland Chinese-linked businesses.
Police fired tear gas to disperse a large number of diehard protesters in Tsuen Wan, where they unlocked the turnstiles at the MTR station and spray-painted graffiti in the premises, blocked traffic and dismantled railings to set up road blockades.
Others trashed Bank of China ATM facilities and vandalised a China Mobile shop in the district.
In Sha Tin, protesters smashed turnstiles and Octopus add-value machines, and sprayed graffiti in the adjoining New Town Plaza shopping centre.
Protesters trash a mahjong parlour in Tsuen Wan.
Photo: Dickson Lee
It was more of the same at Tseung Kwan O MTR station, where they invited commuters to go though the turnstiles without paying.
Roads were blocked in districts ranging from Wong Tai Sin to Causeway Bay. A Wong Tai Sin MTR exit was flooded with water from a damaged fire hydrant.
Rampaging protesters also threw petrol bombs at the gate of the New Territories South regional police headquarters in Tai Wo Hau.
The chaos prompted the MTR to shut down Po Lam and Hang Hau stations at 11.30pm to ensure the safety of passengers and staff. At midnight, Tai Wai, Che Kung Temple and City One stations were closed early.
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In the vicinity of Tai Wai MTR station, police raised a black flag twice – on either side of midnight – warning of the use of tear gas following a confrontation. The crowd, mostly locals, had objected to the presence of about 100 riot police. A man was arrested in the chaos.
As police began making their exit in several vehicles at 12.15am, some in the crowd threw large objects including rubbish bins at them. Officers jumped out and fired two sponge grenades at the crowd, without raising a warning flag. They left soon after.
Three fire services officers’ associations issued a joint statement to condemn protesters’ recent criminal actions, which they complained had slowed down emergency operations and jeopardised public safety.
Protestors throw petrol bombs at New Territories south regional police headquarters.
Photo: SCMP / Dickson Lee
Earlier on Wednesday, police revealed at a press conference that besides shooting 18-year-old Tsang Chi-kin in the chest, officers had fired three of the five other live rounds they used on Tuesday at protesters.
They opened fire twice on protesters who were throwing petrol bombs at them on Sha Tsui Road in Tsuen Wan, but no one was hit.
Another missed shot was fired in Wong Tai Sin under similar circumstances. The remaining two live rounds were fired – but aimed skywards – in Yau Ma Tei.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Chris Tang Ping-keung insisted that the officer who shot Tsang had made the right decision as his own life as well as those of his colleagues were threatened.
Tsang’s lawyer, Ng Gene-bond, said: “My client has undergone surgery and is now still receiving treatment in the intensive care unit. At the moment his life is not in danger in hospital.”
Earlier in the day, hundreds marched on the streets in Central in a spontaneous protest at lunchtime over Tsang’s shooting, bringing traffic in the business district to a standstill.
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Protesters trash a mahjong parlour in Tsuen Wan.