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WORLD NEWS Monday 23 SepteMber 2019
Hong Kong protesters trample Chinese flag, set street fires

HONG KONG (AP) — Pro- Earlier, the protesters at
testers in Hong Kong tram- the mall chanted slogans
pled a Chinese flag, van- and sang a song that has
dalized two subway sta- become their anthem,
tions and set at least two backed by a small group
street fires on Sunday, as playing on woodwind and
pro-democracy demon- brass instruments through
strations took a violent turn their masks. Many lined the
once again. balustrades of the three
The day's action began higher floors overlooking
peacefully, as protesters where others gathered in
filled a shopping mall and, the wide space below.
in a new twist, folded pa- A series of small skirmishes
per "origami" cranes that broke out Sunday night.
they tied onto a large rig- Protesters vandalized the
ging they assembled in the Kwai Fong subway station,
mall in the outlying Shatin which was then closed.
district. They also set a street fire in
Some put a Chinese flag the city's Mong Kok area
on the floor and took turns that firefighters put out.
running over it, before de- Hong Kong's leader, Chief
facing it and putting it in Executive Carrie Lam, has
a dumpster outside, which agreed to withdraw an ex-
they then pushed into a tradition bill that sparked
nearby river. the protests in early June. Protesters vandalize a Chinese national flag during a protest at a mall in Hong Kong on Sunday,
Sept. 22, 2019.
Hong Kong's pro-democ- But the anti-government Associated Press
racy protests, now in their protesters are pressing
fourth month, have often other demands, including
descended into violence fully democratic elections
late in the day and at in the semiautonomous
night. A hardcore group of Chinese territory and an
protesters says the extreme independent investigation
actions are needed to get of complaints about po-
the government's atten- lice violence during earlier
tion. On Saturday, police demonstrations.
used tear gas and rubber Protesters say Beijing and
rounds against protesters Lam's government are
who threw gasoline bombs eroding the "high degree
toward them and set fires of autonomy" and Western-
in streets. style civil liberties promised
As Sunday's protest at Sha- to the former British colony
tin New Town Plaza wound when it was returned to
down, some protesters at- China in 1997.
tacked a subway station The unending protests are
connected to the mall. an embarrassment for
They jumped up to smash China's Communist Party
overhead surveillance ahead of Oct. 1 celebra-
cameras, used hammers tions of its 70th anniversary
to knock ticket sensors off in power. Hong Kong's gov-
gates and spray-painted ernment has canceled a
and broke the screens of fireworks display that day,
ticket machines, using um- citing concern for public
brellas to shield their identi- safety.
ties. On Sunday, transit authori-
Riot police arrived follow- ties closed two stations on
ing the attack and guard- the airport express train to
ed the station after it was guard against a possible
closed, with a metal grill disruption of transportation
pulled down to block entry. to the transportation hub,
Outside, protesters built a but none materialized.
barricade across a street Passengers boarding the
near the mall, piled what train were told via onboard
appeared to be palm announcements that it
fronds on top and set them would make fewer stops
on fire. than usual, with no men-
Police fired tear gas as tion of the protests. Orange
they tried to advance on tape blocked the turnstiles
the protesters, who took at the empty Kowloon sta-
positions behind a wall of tion, and police clutching
handheld umbrellas before riot helmets greeted arriv-
ending their demonstra- ing passengers at the Hong
tion. Kong terminus.q