Police say two undercover officers who fired warning shots during Hong Kong protests identified themselves as police before shooting in the air
- Two live rounds were fired within five minutes of each other at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on Saturday night
- Officers infiltrating demonstration had been noticed by protesters, who allegedly attacked them with sticks and poles and tried to grab a firearm
More details emerged on Sunday of how undercover police officers fired two warning shots in the air at Victoria Park on Saturday night after being uncovered by extradition bill protesters who then attacked them and tried to grab one of their guns. The live rounds were fired skywards and there were no reports of injuries, said a spokeswoman, who emphasised the officers had clearly indicated they were police and given clear warnings after being attacked by a crowd.
But critics objected to the officers disguising themselves as protesters, who usually wear black clothes with helmets and face masks, and accused the police of allegedly using excessive force in firing the deadly weapons.
It was the second time live rounds were fired during 13 weeks of protests against the now-shelved extradition bill, but the first time a firearm was used by police operating undercover as protesters, a police spokeswoman confirmed at a press conference early on Sunday morning.
The rounds were fired at 9.05pm and 9.10pm respectively at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay during a night of chaos and violence with multiple clashes in several neighbourhoods between anti-government protesters and police officers following a banned rally on the Hong Kong Island.
Earlier in the day, police had fired blue dye from water cannons, multiple rounds of tear gas and used pepper spray on protesters, who had lit fires and hurled petrol bombs. Amid the chaos one protester alerted others on Great George Street that there were undercover police in nearby Victoria Park, identifiable by flashing LED lights on their backpacks, according to a witness at the scene interviewed by local media.
Other protesters gave chase and managed to catch him and pin him to the ground, remove his mask and take his mobile phone, the eyewitness said.
According to the police spokeswoman, the undercover officers were being surrounded, taunted and attacked by protesters, who tried to snatch their mobile phones and one officer’s firearm.