Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 2 OctOber 2019
Hong Kong protester shot as China marks its 70th anniversary

Associated Press ti-Chinese campaign with
HONG KONG (AP) — In a demands for direct elec-
fearsome escalation of tions for the city's leaders
violence, Hong Kong po- and police accountability.
lice shot a protester in the The smell of stinging tear
chest at close range Tues- gas and smoke from street
day, leaving the teenager fires started by protesters
bleeding and howling on engulfed the Wan Chai,
the ground. Tens of thou- Wong Tai Sin, Sha Tin, Tuen
sands joined anti-govern- Mun, Tsuen Wan and Tsim
ment demonstrations that Sha Tsui areas. Protesters
spread across the semi-au- used power tools to fash-
tonomous Chinese territory ion bricks into missiles and
in a challenge to Beijing's came armed with gas
dominance as the Com- bombs. Police said protest-
munist Party celebrated 70 ers used corrosive fluid in
years in power. Tuen Mun, injuring officers
The officer fired the single and some reporters.
pistol shot as protesters A water cannon truck
swarmed toward him, Po- sprayed blue water, used
lice Commissioner Stephen to identify protesters, to dis-
Lo said, hitting the 18-year- perse crowds from advanc-
old on the left side of his ing to government offices.
chest. Lo defended the "Today we are out to tell the
action as "reasonable and Associated Press Communist Party that Hong
lawful," saying the officer Kong people have nothing
feared for his life and had tack, his life was threat- ficer's shooting arm. Taken thumb their noses at Chi- to celebrate," said activ-
no other choice. ened. ... He made a very by the City University Stu- nese President Xi Jinping, ist Lee Cheuk-yan as he
Hong Kong's hospital au- quick decision and shot the dent Union, it showed a protesters ignored a secu- led the downtown march.
thority said the teen was assailant. I believe it was his dozen black-clad protest- rity clampdown that saw "We are mourning that in 70
one of two people in criti- best judgment at the time," ers throwing objects at a nearly four dozen subway years of Communist Party
cal condition, with a total Lo said. group of police and clos- stations closed. rule, the democratic rights
of 66 injured as fierce clash- He added that although ing in on the lone officer Chanting anti-China slo- of people in Hong Kong
es between protesters and the officer also had a rifle who pointed his gun and gans and "Freedom for and China are being de-
police wracked China's fre- for rubber bullets, the event opened fire. The protester Hong Kong," the dense nied. "
est and most international unfolded very quickly. He toppled backward onto crowd dressed in mourn- Activists carried banners
city. didn't answer questions on the street, bleeding from ful black snaked for over a saying, "End dictatorial rule,
While officers have fired why the officer fired at the below his left shoulder. mile (1.6 kilometers) along return power to the peo-
warning shots in the air on teen's chest and not his As another protester rushed a broad thoroughfare ple."
multiple occasions during limbs. in to try to drag away the downtown in defiance of As protesters hoped, the
months of unrest, this was Apart from the incident wounded youth and was a police ban. Some carried chaos in Hong Kong con-
the first time a protester in Tsuen Wan, where the tackled by an officer, a Chinese flags defaced with trasted with anniversary fes-
has been struck by gun- teen was shot, he said of- gasoline bomb landed in a black cross. Organizers tivities in Beijing, which in-
fire. The shooting marked a ficers also fired five warning the middle of the group of said at least 100,000 peo- cluded a muscular parade
dramatic surge in violence shots in four other areas, al- officers in an explosion of ple marched in the biggest of military might. Among
that spread chaos to mul- though no one was injured. flames. rally Tuesday. Police didn't those attending was Hong
tiple areas. Police arrested more than "Whilst there is no excuse give an estimate. Kong Chief Executive Car-
Lo said there was no order 180 protesters, he added. for violence, the use of live "They are squeezing our rie Lam, whose leadership
for police to shoot if they Local TV stations showed ammunition is dispropor- necks so we don't breathe during the crisis has made
are under threat but they two officers with bloodied tionate, and only risks in- the air of freedom," said her a hate-figure for many
can use appropriate force. faces pointing pistols as flaming the situation," U.K. King Chan, a 57-year-old protesters.
He described protesters as protesters who sought to Foreign Secretary Dominic homemaker who marched As the city's government
"rioters," saying they have spoil the Oct. 1 anniversary Raab said of the protests with her husband. marked the anniversary
committed widespread of Communist rule fought in the former British colony Demonstrators tossed wads with a solemn morning cer-
criminal acts — from at- pitched battles with riot po- that returned to Chinese of fake bank notes usually emony, police used pep-
tacking police officers, lice. rule in 1997. used at funerals into the per spray to break up a
including 25 who were in- Video that spread quickly Riot police fired tear gas in air. "The leaders who won't brief scuffle between Bei-
jured, to destroying public on social media appeared at least six locations and listen to our voice, this is for jing supporters and a small
property and vandalizing to show the officer opening used water cannons in the them," said marcher Ray group of pro-democracy
shops and banks linked to fire as the masked teen- business district as usually Luk. protesters.
China. ager came at him with a bustling streets became Thousand others confront- Hong Kong Chief Secre-
"The officer was under at- metal rod, striking the of- battlefields. Determined to ed police across the city, tary Matthew Cheung
the largest number of si- told hundreds of guests at
multaneous protests since a reception that the city
the unrest began in early has become "unrecogniz-
June over a now-shelved able" due to the violence.
extradition bill that activ- Cheung said Beijing fully
ists say was an example of supports the "one country,
how Hong Kong's freedoms two systems" framework
and citizen rights are be- that gives Hong Kong free-
ing eroded. The movement doms and rights not en-
has since grown into an an- joyed on the mainland.q