Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters burned a Chinese flag amid more violent clashes with police Saturday.
Cops fired tear gas and pepper spray in an attempt to break up demonstrators chanting “Reclaim Hong Kong!” and “Revolution of our times!” during a march in the Tuen Mun district in the northwest of the territory. The crowd was relatively small compared with some of the massive protests that have seen multiple confrontations with police since an extradition bill sparked the movement in June, The Associated Press reported.
Police made several arrests and issued statements calling the demonstrators “radical protesters” who damaged a light rail transit station, “hurled objects” and “threw petrol bombs, posing a serious threat to the safety of others and police officers,” Reuters reported.
This week’s protest took place in sweltering heat after pro-China groups pulled down some of the “Lennon Walls,” of anti-government messages in the Chinese-ruled city. The mosaics made of colored Post-it notes have hand-written calls for democracy and criticism of the Chinese government’s meddling in the former British colony. They have spread throughout the city as the protests have ground on.
The violent clashes with cops came a day after Amnesty International accused Hong Kong police of a “disturbing pattern” of abuse and torture in the way they’ve handled the summerlong protest movement.