- Title: Hong Kong falls into chaos on China's national day
- Date: 1st October 2019
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) (FROM EDIT 2022-CHINA-ANNIVERSARY/HONG KONG-TEAR GAS) RIOT POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS SMOKE BILLOWING FROM TEAR GAS CANISTER BELOW BARRICADES / PROTESTERS USING UMBRELLAS AS SHIELDS HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) (FROM EDIT 2024-CHINA-ANNIVERSARY/HONG KONG-PETROL BOMBS) POLICE POINTING A GUN AT PROTESTERS (NOT VISIBLE) AT WONG TAI SIN PROTESTER THROWING PETROL BOMB AT POLICE PETROL BOMBS / RIOT POLICE KICK A PETROL BOMB AWAY PROTESTERS MOVING TOWARD POLICE RIOT POLICE FIRE TEAR GAS VARIOUS OF PETROL BOMBS BEING THROWN VARIOUS OF MOTORBIKES BURNING FIRE / SMOKE RISING HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) (FROM EDIT 2025-CHINA-ANNIVERSARY/HONG KONG-FIRE) BINS BEING SET ON FIRE FIRE AND BLACK FUMES OF SMOKE / MEDIA TAKING PHOTOS / PROTESTERS STANDING AND WATCHING PROTESTERS STANDING AND LOOKING ON VARIOUS BINS ON FIRE AND BLACK FUMES OF SMOKE HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) (FROM EDIT 2027-CHINA-ANNIVERSARY/HONG KONG-WATER CANNON) POLICE FIRING WATER CANNON IN FRONT OF GOVERNMENT HOUSE PROTESTERS RETREATING PROTESTERS STANDING BEHIND UMBRELLAS VARIOUS OF BLUE LIQUID WATER CANON BEING SPRAYED ONTO ROAD AND PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF TEAR GAS SHELLS LANDING NEAR PROTESTERS POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS VARIOUS OF FIRES BEING DOUSED HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) (FROM EDIT 2029-CHINA-ANNIVERSARY/HONG KONG-TEARGAS-SHA-TIN) POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS CANISTERS IN SHA TIN DISTRICT PROTESTERS THROWING PETROL BOMBS IN DIRECTION OF POLICE VARIOUS OF POLICE IN FORMATION FIRING TEAR GAS HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) (FROM EDIT 2030-CHINA-ANNIVERSARY/HONG KONG-TEARGAS-MORE) BURNING BARRICADES ON STREETS/PROTESTERS RUNNING AWAY IN WONG TAI SIN HONG KONG POLICE MOVING TOWARDS PROTESTERS/HAZE FROM TEAR GAS HONG KONG POLICE FIRING TEAR GAS AT PROTESTERS WHO ARE SHIELDING UNDER UMBRELLAS/PROTESTERS RUNNING AWAY
- Embargoed: 15th October 2019 13:17
- Keywords: tear gas 70th anniversary unrest black-clad protesters China democracy liberty freedom protests police Hong Kong one country two systems
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA006AZ9KCAV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hong Kong police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at pro-democracy protesters throwing petrol bombs in the Asian financial hub on Tuesday (October 1) as its Chinese rulers celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.
Cat-and-mouse clashes spread from the upmarket district of Causeway Bay to the Admiralty area of government offices on Hong Kong island. Violence also escalated across the harbour to Kowloon and beyond to the New Territories in the most widespread unrest in nearly four months.
The South China Morning Post and television reports said at least one person was wounded in the chest by police firing live rounds. Police did not respond to requests for comment but have said they fired live rounds into the air in previous clashes.
Video footage of a police officer firing at a protester at close range went viral, but there was no immediate verification of its authenticity.
Fifteen people were wounded across the territory, one critically, the Hospital Authority said without giving details.
Police fired water cannon and volley after volley of tear gas to disperse protesters throwing Molotov cocktails outside central government offices in the Admiralty area and ordered the evacuation of the Legislative Council building next door.
Police said "rioters" had used corrosive fluid in Tuen Mun in the west of the New Territories, "injuring multiple police officers and reporters". No details were immediately available.
The territory has been tense for weeks, with protests often turning violent, as authorities tried to avoid activists spoiling Beijing's birthday parade at a time when the central government is already grappling with a U.S.-China trade war and a slowing economy.
By the afternoon, police and protesters were involved in standoffs across Hong Kong, with the streets littered with tear gas canisters and other debris.
(Production: Joseph Campbell, Mark Chisolm, Xihao Jiang, Joyce Zhou, Sophia Soo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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