Hong Kong police have admitted firing two “warning shots” above a crowd after violent protests broke out last night over the clearance of hawkers in Mong Kok.
In what is being dubbed the “Fishball Revolution”, angry scenes began to erupt at around 10pm last night as police made progress in a crackdown on illegal Lunar New Year food hawkers in Portland Street.
The SCMP reports that around 100 protesters began throwing missiles, including paving stones, bricks, bottles and plant pots at officers. Two warning shots were fired over the crowd at around 2am.
A number of fires were also set, causing roads and the Mong Kok MTR station to be shut down for a period while the public was urged to keep clear. Both lanes on Nathan Road were blocked from south of Argyle Street.
Crusade Yau – the deputy Mong Kok district police commander with a name like a superhero – said the demonstrators seemed to be organised. “Radical elements have come with self-made weapons and shields and clashed with police,” Yau said. “The situation ran out of control and became a riot.”
Around 44 police officers were injured, and some have been left in comas, according to reports. At least four journalists have also been hurt in the unrest.
LegCo hopeful Edward Leung from the localist group Hong Kong Indigenous is among those who have been arrested, according to the group’s Facebook page. It is also reported that the editor-in-chief of the University of Hong Kong student magazine has been detained.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story reported that police fired warning shots into the crowd. That is incorrect. Hong Kong Police said they fired warning shots into the air. We apologise for the error.
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