Hong Kong Police Use Pepper Spray, Sponge Grenades To Disperse Protesters - Reports

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published September 21, 2019 | 05:05 PM

Hong Kong police used pepper spray and sponge grenades to disperse protesters, who gathered on Saturday near Tuen Mun park to protest against its noise pollution, local media reported

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2019) Hong Kong police used pepper spray and sponge grenades to disperse protesters, who gathered on Saturday near Tuen Mun park to protest against its noise pollution, local media reported.

Scuffles broke out between the police and protesters near the Tuen Mun light rail station after demonstrators shone laser pointers at police officers and damaged station facilities, according to the RTHK broadcaster.

"Radical protesters damaged the facilities of Tuen Mun Light Rail Station with metal rods, hurled objects into the Light Rail track and set barricades at the vicinity causing obstruction to the traffic ... The radical protesters also threw petrol bombs posing a serious threat to the safety of others and police officers at scene," the police said in a statement.

The broadcaster noted that after protesters started hurling bricks and petrol bombs at Tuen Mun Town Plaza, the police was forced to use tear gas.

The mass protests in Hong Kong started in early June as a reaction to proposed amendments to the city's extradition laws. On June 12, the day the bill was scheduled for a second reading in the city's Legislative Council, hundreds of thousands protesters filled the streets, eventually leading to clashes with security forces. Riot police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators. Dozens of people ended up being injured, while dozens more were detained. The city's authorities suspended the bill following the rally but have not removed it completely.

In early September, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced her decision to formally withdraw the controversial extradition bill. However, protesters said that they would continue rallying until she met their remaining demands, which include ending legal procedures against fellow demonstrators and launching an investigation into police violence.