Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui MTR stations close as Hong Kong marks Christmas Eve with return to tear gas on streets and protest chaos in malls
- In shopping centres citywide, groups also gather to chant protest slogans, as unrest spreads to Mong Kok
- Police chief visits officers on duty earlier, calling on ‘black-clad rioters’ not to bring destruction back on the streets for Christmas
Hong Kong marked Christmas Eve with a return to tear gas on the streets and chaotic scenes at shopping malls, as anti-government protesters clashed with police who came under attack, and MTR stations were forced to close down.
The stand-offs, concentrated in the busy shopping hubs of Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok, dragged into the early hours of Wednesday, with crowds ignoring police warnings and tear gas while counting down to midnight before wishing all – including officers – a “Merry Christmas”.
After the bizarre celebrations however, protesters went back to showing there was no love lost between them and police in Mong Kok, as they threw petrol bombs at officers’ vehicles retreating from the scene.
In response, police fired a fresh round of tear gas and pepper balls at the crowd.
The force said radicals had also hurled petrol bombs at the police station in Tsim Sha Tsui earlier, threatening the safety of staff inside.
Meanwhile, a government spokesman condemned protesters who had smashed traffic lights and blocked roads in the city. “The masked rioters seriously disrupted social order and citizens’ celebrations on Christmas. Their acts are outrageous,” he said.