Black-clad men hurl petrol bombs at Hong Kong police station
- Attackers hit Happy Valley Police Station during Monday’s early hours
- Incident comes after series of similar attacks on police facilities and living quarters
A Hong Kong police station came under attack during Monday’s early hours, when three black-clad men hurled petrol bombs into the compound, sparking a search for the perpetrators.
Firefighters were called to Happy Valley Police Station on Sing Woo Road when the firebombing happened at about 2.20am.
A police source said he believed three petrol bombs were hurled into the station car park. The fire burned out before firefighters arrived.
He said the fourth flaming projectile landed on Kwai Fong Street near the junction with Sing Woo Road, leaving a parked car blackened.
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Officers scouted the area, but no arrests were made. According to police, no one was injured and no evacuation was needed.
“Officers seized glass fragments at the scene for examination. The case has been classified as arson,” police said in a press statement.
Security around staff quarters and police stations has been enhanced since January, after a message which read “burn doghouse” was posted on Telegram, an app used by anti-government protesters who use the term “doghouse” to refer to officers’ homes.
The city has experienced months of protests sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions with which it does not have existing agreements, including the mainland.
Since the protests began in June, radicals have destroyed traffic lights and set street fires, attacked police stations, vandalised MTR facilities, shops and banks, and occupied universities. They have also attacked police officers on the front lines, hurling petrol bombs and bricks.
Police have responded by firing more than 16,000 rounds of tear gas, 10,000 rubber bullets, 2,000 beanbag rounds and 19 live rounds.
So far, more than 7,000 people have been arrested for various protest-related offences, including rioting, possessing explosives and firearms without a licence, and arson.
