Violence Erupts in Hong Kong as Protesters Are Assaulted
Source: New York Times
HONG KONG — Pro-democracy demonstrations in two of Hong Kong’s most crowded shopping districts came under attack on Friday from unidentified men who assaulted protesters and tore down their encampments, after a week of erratic and unsuccessful attempts by the Beijing-backed government to end the protests. The protesters said the attackers were pro-government gangs, and several protest groups called off planned negotiations with the government in response.
On Saturday morning a police spokesman said 19 men, including eight with links to organized crime syndicates, or triads, had been arrested in connection with the violence in one of the districts, Mong Kok, according to Radio Television Hong Kong. Some residents, fed up with the inconveniences of the protests, had cheered on the attacks on the camps.
The police also said that at least 18 people had been injured in the violence, including six police officers.
A week after the protests began with a student rally, the pro-democracy movement and the government were showing increasing signs of wear and desperation, each improvising its next moves like chess players in the face of dwindling options.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/04/world/asia/hong-kong-protests.html?_r=0
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