The situation in Hong Kong is rapidly deteriorating, with violence breaking out in seven locations Monday afternoon as the citywide strike continues.
What were supposed to be peaceful sit-ins in different districts turned into riots, “with Wong Tai Sin and Harcourt Road seeing the most intense confrontations as protesters kneel instead of flee, to shield themselves while tear gas rounds and sponge grenades rain on them,” according to SCMP.
VIDEO: 🇭🇰 Hong Kong police launch rounds of tear gas and try to clear pro-democracy protesters who had gathered near a police dormitory in the working-class district of #WongTaiSin #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/GkuCBM0DCV
— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 5, 2019
Protesters threw a suspected gasoline bomb at police after first being attacked by bricks.
20:00 A suspected gasoline bomb was thrown by protesters to the police who were resting on Tai Po Tai Wo road near the crossroad with Nam Wan Rd. The police were attacked suddenly first by bricks from the protesters and then the bomb. #antiELAB pic.twitter.com/hyv8YLhKxH
— Karen Zhang (@karenised) August 5, 2019
Riot police used crowd control measures in at least five locations – targeting those filing the streets. 82 people were arrested for offences including rioting, unlawful assembly, assaulting a police officer, obstructing police and possession of offensive weapons.
Tear gas in Admiralty #anyielab pic.twitter.com/zSWxuV87lm
— Neil Taylor (@mrneiltaylor) August 5, 2019
Fighting broke out between protesters and local residents, while reports of ‘white shirted’ men believed to be triad gang members began beating protesters as the evening devolved.
#LIVE: A group of white-shirted men brandishing rods are attacking protesters in North Point https://t.co/4zOXMH4fU9 #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/ipmIct6zXV
— SCMP News (@SCMPNews) August 5, 2019
BREAKING – Fighting has broken out at North Point between Protesters and local residents. #HongKongProtests #HongKong pic.twitter.com/6MarDFjeAP
— Michael Zhang 張雨軒 (@YuxuanMichael) August 5, 2019
Here’s the aftermath. Protesters chased the men with sticks up the hill and broke the windows of a residential building. To clarify, unclear if men with sticks are residents. Overheard some speaking in Cantonese and some speaking Mandarin. #HongKong pic.twitter.com/aN0bFZoaHH
— Michael Zhang 張雨軒 (@YuxuanMichael) August 5, 2019
Protesters started a fire at the Tuen Mun police station after spray painting its wall with profanities:
#LIVE: Protesters set fires at and besiege police stations, throw national flag into water as chaos reigns across Hong Kong https://t.co/4zOXMH4fU9 #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/lVesmONDUt
— SCMP News (@SCMPNews) August 5, 2019
In response to the unrest, Cathay Pacific airlines canceled over 150 flights and urged passengers to postpone non-essential travel according to CNN.
Cathay Pacific urged customers not to fly Monday and Tuesday, and said it would waive fees for rebooking. Shares in Cathay plunged more than 4% during trading Monday.
The airline is the city’s flagship carrier. It flies about 34 million passengers every year and serves nearly 200 cities around the world from its hub at Hong Kong’s international airport.
Hong Kong Airlines, a smaller carrier, said it has canceled 32 flights. United Airlines said its flights were unaffected.
More than 2,300 aviation workers took part in the strike, including 1,200 Cathay cabin crew and pilots, according to the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions.
Service was suspended for more than an hour Monday morning on the Airport Express, which is a line that zips people between the airport and the city center in under 25 minutes. –CNN
Meanwhile:
HKD running for the exits before beijing’s planned massacre. Investors have lost trust…and history tells us what happens next #bankingandcurrencycrisis #HK #china #monsters pic.twitter.com/KSdRtEcIbt
— Kyle Bass (@Jkylebass) August 5, 2019
via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2OFo4e2 Tyler Durden