- Title: Hong Kong police defends use of live ammunition as 180 protesters arrested
- Date: 1st October 2019
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** HONG KONG POLICE COMMISSIONER STEPHEN LO ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) HONG KONG POLICE COMMISSIONER, STEPHEN LO, SAYING: "In those three cases (where shots were fired), police officers made warnings, but the warnings failed. The police officers' lives were seriously endangered and were forced to fire to stop the violent attacks. The behaviour was lawful and reasonable." PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) HONG KONG POLICE COMMISSIONER, STEPHEN LO, SAYING: "The shooting of a live round on Tai Ho Road in Tsuen Wan, when a police officer was being jostled by rioters, then was surrounded and attacked by a huge numbers of rioters. There was someone even pointing a hard, pointed object at that police officer. Other police officers tried to save him, but were attacked by bricks and rocks thrown by protesters. The police officer who was on the ground's life was seriously endangered, so he fired one shot at the attacker." CAMERA OPERATORS FILMING ONGOING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) HONG KONG POLICE COMMISSIONER, STEPHEN LO, SAYING: "We strongly condemn these actions. We have learned that 25 police officers were injured and we have arrested more than 180 people who were suspected of being involved in rioting, illegal gathers, possessing offensive weapons and attacking police." PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) HONG KONG POLICE COMMISSIONER, STEPHEN LO, SAYING: "Today is the most violent and most chaotic day for Hong Kong. Our society is so badly hurt. I think me and other Hong Kong residents are saddened by these kind of behaviours. Most of the people who came out today were not expressing their beliefs. Their sole purpose was to deliberately destroy, to take the initiative to attack police officers and some residents." JOURNALISTS RAISING HANDS TO ASK QUESTIONS, LO LOOKING ON
- Embargoed: 15th October 2019 18:16
- Keywords: Hong Kong police defend live ammunition Hong Kong protest protest Hong Kong protester shot China
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZ9P0LJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Hong Kong police commissioner Stephen Lo said on Tuesday (October 1) that police were justified in firing live ammunition as violent clashes swept through the Chinese-ruled city on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.
Police said an officer shot an 18-year-old man in the shoulder in the Tsuen Wan area of the New Territories with a live round - the first to have been hit by live ammunition in almost four months of unrest.
Protesters have previously been hit with bean bag rounds and rubber bullets and officers have fired live rounds in the air.
Police chief Stephen Lo said the firing of live rounds - which were discharged in three places - was lawful and fair. He added that 180 people were arrested in Tuesday's protests.
Cat-and-mouse clashes spread from the shopping district of Causeway Bay to the Admiralty area of government offices on Hong Kong island, and then on to the New Territories bordering mainland China, with police firing tear gas and water cannon at petrol bomb throwing protesters.
Tuesday's violence was the most widespread since the unrest erupted in early June, plunging the former British colony into its biggest political crisis in decades and posing the most serious popular challenge to President Xi Jinping since he came to power.
(Production: Yiming Woo, Joyce Zhou, Angie Teo, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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