- Title: Police fire tear gas as protests swell after HK imposes emergency powers
- Date: 4th October 2019
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) CROWD OF PROTESTERS HOLDING UMBRELLAS RUNNING FROM TEAR GAS PROTESTER STAMPING ON TEAR GAS CANISTER GROUP OF PROTESTERS STANDING TOGETHER, WEARING MASKS AND HOLDING UMBRELLAS PROTESTERS HOLDING UMBRELLAS, CROUCHED DOWN, SOME BEHIND BIN PROTESTERS RETREATING FROM TEAR GAS PROTESTERS TRYING TO CONTAIN TEAR GAS CLOUD OF TEAR GAS, PROTESTERS RUNNING CLOUD OF TEAR GAS IN STREET PROTESTERS CROUCHED IN STREET HOLDING UMBRELLAS PROTESTERS HOLDING UMBRELLAS, CROUCHING, TEAR GAS CANISTER BEING THROWN / PROTESTER RUNNING PROTESTERS HOLDING UMBRELLAS CROUCHING BEHIND CAR VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SURROUNDED BY TEAR GAS PROTESTERS RETREATING FROM TEAR GAS SMALL FIRES BURNING ON PAVEMENT BEHIND SHOPPING TROLLIES TROLLIES ON STREET
- Embargoed: 18th October 2019 15:35
- Keywords: Hong Kong protests Hong Kong protests tear gas fired tear gas used at protest Hong Kong tear gas
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZONCQV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Hong Kong police fired tear gas at protesters on Friday (October 4) as crowds took to the streets, enraged by colonial-era emergency powers being invoked by embattled leader, Carrie Lam.
The emergency laws allow curfews, censorship of the media, and control of harbours, ports and transport.
Masked demonstrators carrying umbrellas went out in protest to vent their anger, vandalizing what they perceived to be China-friendly businesses and blocking roads in the heart of the financial centre. Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in flashpoint districts across the territory, including Causeway Bay, Sha Tin and Wong Tai Sin.
Nearly four months of anti-government protests have plunged Hong Kong into its biggest political crisis since its handover from Britain to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that granted it autonomy and broad freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland.
Violence escalated on Tuesday (October 1), the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, when police fired about 1,800 volleys of tear gas, 900 rubber bullets and six live bullets - one of which hit an 18-year-old, the first time a protester had been hit be live fire.
(Production: Joyce Zhou, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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