A large group of protestors participated in unlawful assembly in various districts across the territory since yesterday (August 31), despite Police’s objection and warning. Large-scale clashes broke out as protestors hurled petrol bombs at Government buildings and assaulted Police officers recklessly by bricks and iron poles. Some protestors even hurled miscellaneous objects and iron railings into MTR railroad and committed arson inside MTR station, completely disregarding the safety of other passengers. With such escalating violence and progressively lethal weapons of protestors, the safety of Police officers and other members of the public is seriously threatened. Police express severe condemnation against such acts.

     Police had earlier issued notice of objection against a public event on Hong Kong Island yesterday. However, some people continued to call on protestors on the Internet to participate in unauthorised assembly in Wan Chai areas. At about 2pm yesterday, a large group of protestors marched through Hennessy Road to Central and set barricades along various throughways on Connaught Road Central, Harcourt Road and Des Voeux Road Central, seriously paralysing the traffic on Hong Kong Island.

     At about 5pm, a group of radical protestors started storming Central Government Offices, Legislative Council Complex and Police Headquarters. They hurled petrol bombs, corrosives, bricks and miscellaneous objects at Police officers, and committed arson at various locations. Having given repeated warnings to the protestors in vain, officers conducted dispersal operations with appropriate force. The specialised crowd management vehicle was deployed to stop the violent acts of the protestors.

     The protestors later went to Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and North Point, and blocked Hennessy Road, Fenwick Street and King's Road, etc. Some of them set fire to large barricades at the junction of Hennessy Road and Johnston Road. The fire was very fierce at one point, posing serious danger to nearby residents. Police again deployed the specialised crowd management vehicle to disperse the crowd.

     At about 9pm, while conducting operations near Victoria Park, two Police officers were surrounded and attacked by a large group of violent protestors who once attempted to snatch Police pistols. With their lives under serious threat, the officers fired two warning shots into the sky to protect their own safety.

     Other than Hong Kong Island, multiple batches of radical protestors also illegally assembled in various districts on Kowloon, including Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, Prince Edward, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong, Hang Hau and Tin Shui Wai. Police stations were besieged, roads were blocked, public facilities were criminally damaged, and a number of MTR stations were vandalised.

     In the past months, radical protestors escalated their violent acts from blocking main thoroughfares to frequently using lethal weapons such as petrol bombs. Some of them even blatantly assaulted Police officers. The level of violence is rapidly escalating and their illegal acts have no regard to the laws of Hong Kong. Police will continue to take resolute enforcement actions so as to safeguard the city’s public safety and bring all lawbreakers to justice.
 

Ends/Sunday, September 1, 2019
Issued at HKT 6:34

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