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The
"shopping protests" have targeted malls across the Chinese-ruled
city since Christmas Eve, turning violent at times with police
firing tear gas to disperse demonstrators in bustling commercial
areas filled with shoppers and tourists.
The turnout on Thursday was smaller than on the previous two
days, but dozens of riot police patrolled the outskirts of
shopping centers on the Kowloon peninsula and in the rural New
Territories. Some officers entered the malls to observe chanting
black-clad protesters.
Protests started in Hong Kong more than six months ago in
response to a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed
extraditions to mainland China, where courts are controlled by
the Communist Party.
They have since evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement,
and became more confrontational over the festive season. Earlier
in December, after pro-democracy candidates overwhelmingly won
district council elections, they had been largely peaceful
On Thursday, police detained several people at a mall in rural
Tai Po, located far north of the city's financial center earlier
on Thursday, public broadcaster RTHK said.
Some restaurants and stores pulled down their shutters in the
malls as protesters, some wearing balaclavas and carrying black
flags, marched by. At some dining outlets protesters stuck up
stickers and posters which read "Free Hong Kong, revolution
now".
Demonstrators are angry at what they perceive as increased
meddling by Beijing in the freedoms promised to the former
British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
China denies interfering, saying it is committed to the "one
country, two systems" formula put in place at that time, and
blames foreign forces for fomenting unrest.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam condemned the protesters in a
Facebook post on Wednesday stating that many Hong Kongers and
tourists were disappointed that their "Christmas Eve
celebrations have been ruined."
"Such illegal acts have not only dampened the festive mood but
also adversely affected local businesses.
The government, in a separate statement on Thursday, criticized
"unprecedented violence" and vandalism committed by some
protesters, and said that, despite the months of social unrest,
freedoms and human rights remained a top priority.
(Reporting by Joyce Zhou and Twinnie Siu; Writing by Farah
Master; editing by John Stonestreet)
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