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WORLD NEWS Monday 4 noveMber 2019
Attacker stabs several, bites man's ear as Hong Kong boils

By EILEEN NG Police rushed into one of Pacific office building. The
Associated Press the malls after objects were Hong Kong Journalists Asso-
HONG KONG (AP) — A thrown at them. At another, ciation also deplored "any
knife-wielding man slashed protesters used umbrellas act of sabotage against
several people and bit off and cable ties to lock the the media" and called for
part of the ear of a pro- mall entrance to prevent an end to violence against
democracy politician in police from entering.Later the press.
Hong Kong on Sunday, as in the day, police stormed Protesters have frequently
riot police stormed several Cityplaza after some pro- targeted Chinese banks
malls to thwart protesters testers sprayed graffiti at a and businesses. In July,
who have been demand- restaurant. A human chain demonstrators threw eggs
ing government reforms for by dozens of people was at China's liaison office in
nearly five months. broken up and angry shop- Hong Kong and defaced
The bloody attack erupted pers heckled the police. the Chinese national em-
outside one of those shop- The protests began in early blem in a move slammed
ping complexes, Cityplaza June over a now-shelved An injury suspected attacker, left, who bit off part of the ear by Beijing as a direct chal-
on Hong Kong Island. Local plan to allow extraditions of a local pro-democracy politician is surrounded by media, lenge to its authority.
media said the attacker to mainland China but Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in Hong Kong. On Friday, the Communist
told his victims that Hong have since swelled into a Associated Press Party in Beijing vowed to
Kong belongs to China. movement seeking other of anger against Beijing, gas and protesters tossing "establish and strengthen a
Television footage showed demands, including direct a day after China warned gasoline bombs. legal system and enforce-
the man biting the ear of elections for Hong Kong's of tightening its grip on the Xinhua in a statement ment mechanism" to pre-
district councilor Andrew leaders and an indepen- city to quell the unrest. The strongly condemned the vent foreign powers from
Chiu, who had tried to stop dent inquiry into police attack on Xinhua came af- "barbaric acts of mobs" that sowing acts of "separatism,
him from leaving after the conduct. ter chaos broke out down- had vandalized and set subversion, infiltration and
stabbings. The attacker Lam has refused to budge town, with police firing tear fire to the lobby of its Asia- sabotage" in Hong Kong.q
was then badly beaten up on the demands, and in-
by a crowd after the at- stead has focused on mea-
tack, before police arrived. sures that she said contrib-
Five people were injured, uted to protesters' anger,
two critically and two seri- such as creating jobs and
ously, news reports said. easing housing woes in
The attack came late Sun- one of the world's most ex-
day, a day in which pro- pensive cities. She invoked
testers had been urged on- emergency powers last
line to gather at seven lo- month to ban face masks
cations, including malls, to at rallies, provoking further
sustain a push for political anger. Her office said Sun-
reform following a chaotic day that Lam, currently in
day of clashes with police Shanghai, will head to Bei-
on Saturday. jing on Tuesday. She is due
Most of the rallies didn't pan to hold talks Wednesday
out as scores of riot police with Chinese Vice Premier
took positions, searching Han Zheng and join a meet-
and arresting people, dis- ing on the development of
persing crowds and block- the Greater Bay Area that
ing access to a park next to aims to link Hong Kong,
the office of the city's em- Macao and nine other cit-
battled leader, Carrie Lam. ies in southern China.
Some small pockets of The ambitious project will
hardcore demonstrators help make it easier for Hong
were undeterred. Kong residents to work and
As protesters chanted slo- reside in mainland Chi-
gans at the New Town nese cities, and bolster the
Plaza shopping mall in Sha flow of people and goods,
Tin, police said they moved Lam's office said in a state-
in after some "masked riot- ment.
ers" with fire extinguishers But the plan has also
vandalized turnstiles and sparked concerns over Chi-
smashed windows at the na's growing influence over
subway station linked to the territory. Many protest-
the mall. ers fear Beijing is slowly in-
At two malls in the New fringing on the freedoms
Territories in the north, pro- guaranteed to Hong Kong
testers vandalized shops, when the former British col-
threw paint and attacked ony returned to Chinese
a branch of Japanese control in 1997.
fast food chain Yoshinoya, On Saturday, protesters for
which has been frequently the first time attacked the
targeted after the chain's Hong Kong office of Chi-
owner voiced support for na's state-owned Xinhua
the Hong Kong police. News Agency in a show