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The Latest: HK police tear gas protesters in shopping area

Tear gas smokes raise in front of protesters as they face with riot police during the anti-extradition bill protest at Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019. The first of two planned protests in Hong Kong on Sunday has kicked off from a public park just hours after police said they arrested more than 20 people for unlawful assembly and other offences during the previous night's demonstrations. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Original Publication Date August 03, 2019 - 2:01 AM

HONG KONG - The Latest on protests in Hong Kong (all times local):

10:15 p.m.

Riot police in Hong Kong have fired rounds of tear gas at protesters occupying a high-end shopping area.

The tear gas Sunday evening beat back most of the crowd, but some protesters resisted by throwing the canisters back at officers and hurling eggs and other objects.

Some jeered "Gangsters!" at the police line.

Demonstrators debated whether they could feasibly defend the area or if they should migrate to another district, as they have been doing throughout the night.

Some passers-by were caught in the fray and angrily yelled at protesters.

Hong Kong has been rocked by two months of pro-democracy protests that are increasingly marked by clashes with police.

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9:40 p.m.

Hundreds of cars and buses are at a standstill in Hong Kong as protesters barricaded and jammed roads leading up to a major cross-harbour tunnel.

Demonstrators were initially directing traffic into a single lane, but then roads around the tunnel were completely blocked for about half an hour Sunday night.

Whereas demonstrators Saturday faced off with riot police, the groups Sunday have taken to immediately evacuating a location upon authorities' arrival.

Residents in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory have held mass demonstrations for nearly two months to demand direct elections and greater government accountability.

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8:45 p.m.

Police in Hong Kong say they will use a colored liquid spray to distinguish pro-democracy protesters from other members of the public.

The police said in a statement Sunday that the spray is edible and harmless, but will stay on skin and clothes as a way of marking demonstrators.

Police added that the dye can also be applied to tear gas, which authorities have used to disperse crowds of protesters.

Another weekend of protests in Hong Kong continues as demonstrators mobilize to occupy different neighbourhoods in an effort to stay one step ahead of riot police.

Residents in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory have held mass demonstrations for nearly two months to demand direct elections and greater government accountability.

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8:35 p.m.

Protesters in Hong Kong have moved en masse to a luxury shopping area after riot police used tear gas to clear out an area they were previously occupying.

Clad in yellow helmets and black face masks, protesters squeezed into a subway station on Sunday, with a few people directing traffic and others holding open the turnstiles.

Surveillance cameras at the station in Causeway Bay were covered with black tape and umbrellas as protesters spilled out.

Makeshift barricades have been erected in the area, which hosts high-end department stores and upscale restaurants.

Standoffs between police and pro-democracy protesters lasted deep into the night Saturday, but demonstrators now appear to be taking a more mobile approach.

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7 p.m.

Protesters in Hong Kong have used what appeared to be a long, homemade slingshot to hurl rocks, bricks and other objects at a police station.

The police station is the third to be vandalized during this weekend's demonstrations. Police said Sunday that they arrested more than 20 people for offences including unlawful assembly and assault in rallies that devolved into violent clashes in the early hours of the day.

Some demonstrators in the Tseung Kwan O area, where one of two rallies is being held, surrounded the local police station, shattering the station's windows with their bricks.

Police warned they will soon clear out the area, saying the protesters are a serious threat to everyone's safety. Meanwhile, a rally on neighbouring Hong Kong Island swelled in numbers as those from Tseung Kwan O joined them.

The semi-autonomous Chinese city has been beset by a summer of passionate pro-democracy protests. Police on Saturday repeatedly fired tear gas at demonstrators until they retreated.

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5:30 p.m.

The second rally of the day in Hong Kong has started in a party atmosphere where protesters hung a banner demanding the withdrawal of a proposed extradition law that prompted anti-government demonstrations.

A flutist and a trumpeter played "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from the musical "Les Miserables," which has become a rallying song for protests that have taken place regularly in Hong Kong for two months.

Cara Lee, a 53-year-old insurance agent who was attending her 13th demonstration, said: I feel ashamed because for a long time we didn't do anything. But now we are awake. I have to speak out for the next generation. It's our moral responsibility."

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3:15 p.m.

The first of two planned protests in Hong Kong on Sunday has kicked off from a public park as a sea of umbrellas filled the streets.

Light rain fell on the demonstrators who had parasols at the ready. Since Occupy Central protests in 2014, umbrellas have been a prime symbol of the city's pro-democracy movements.

A peaceful rally in a different district Saturday devolved after some protesters refused to disperse upon reaching the police-approved endpoint. Similar to previous weeks, the night ended in violent clashes between demonstrators and riot police. The police fired tear gas to clear out crowds, who in turn hurled bricks and other objects.

For nearly two months, the semi-autonomous Chinese city has been rocked by mass protests calling for greater democratic freedoms and government accountability.

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2:55 p.m.

Former Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung has offered 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,720) to members of the public who can provide information about the person who threw the Chinese national flag into the water during a pro-democracy protest.

Leung is the predecessor of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who is now facing the same calls to resign that he once confronted.

After a rally Saturday continued past its designated end point, some protesters scaled a flag pole, removed from it the Chinese flag and flung the flag into an iconic harbour.

Leung said on his Facebook page that the act will provoke "enormous resentment from the entire nation." He pledged the cash award to anyone who provides clues about the "insane person" behind it.

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1:15 p.m.

Hong Kong police have arrested more than 20 people for unlawful assembly and assault after confrontations between protesters and authorities continued deep into the night.

Police say some violent protesters hurled petrol bombs, bricks, glass bottles and other objects at officers and refused to disperse at the pre-approved location on Saturday.

A peaceful pro-democracy rally devolved after protesters ignored police appeals to stick to the designated route, instead splintering off to various locations across Hong Kong's northern Kowloon area. Some blocked streets and a major tunnel while others surrounded two different police stations, damaging vehicles parked inside one lot.

Hong Kong has been rocked by nearly two months of mass demonstrations calling for greater democratic rights and government accountability.

Fresh rallies are expected Sunday ahead of a general strike Monday.

News from © The Associated Press, 2019
The Associated Press

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