Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

A11
WORLD NEWS Monday 26 august 2019
Hong Kong police draw guns in latest protest violence

By KELVIN CHAN trucks and a phalanx of po- seen moving into position
KIN CHEUNG lice vehicles with flashing along the march route.
Associated Press lights joined riot police on Protesters have taken to the
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong foot as they advanced up semiautonomous Chinese
Kong police drew their the street. They met little re- territory's streets for more
guns Sunday night after sistance. Television footage than two months. Their de-
protesters attacked officers showed a water cannon mands include democratic
with sticks and rods, and being fired once, but per- elections and an investiga-
brought out water cannon haps more as a test, as it tion into police use of force
trucks for the first time, an didn't appear to reach the to quell the protests.
escalation in the summer- retreating protesters. A large group clashed with
long protests that have Officers pulled their guns af- police on Saturday after a
shaken the city's govern- ter protesters chased them march in the Kowloon Bay
ment and residents. down a street with sticks neighborhood, building
The day's main showdown and rods, calling them A policeman points a weapon during a protest in Hong Kong, barricades and setting fires
took place on a major drag "gangsters." Public broad- Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019. in the streets. Police said
in the outlying Tsuen Wan caster RTHK said one of its Associated Press they arrested 29 people for
district following a protest reporters saw a uniformed various offenses, including
march that ended in a officer fire a shot into the protesters marched in the The march in Hong Kong's unlawful assembly, posses-
nearby park. While a large sky. rain. Many filled Tsuen Wan New Territories started near sion of offensive weapons
crowd rallied in the park, a Some protesters said Park, the endpoint of the the Kwai Fong train sta- and assaulting police offi-
group of hard-line protest- they're resorting to violence rally, chanting, "Fight for tion, which has become a cers.
ers took over a main street, because the government freedom, stand with Hong focal point for protesters The clashes, while not as
strewing bamboo poles on has not responded to their Kong," the South China after police used tear gas prolonged or violent as
the pavement and lining peaceful demonstrations. Morning Post newspaper there earlier this month. Po- some earlier ones, ended
up orange and white traffic "The escalation you're see- reported. lice with riot gear could be a brief lull in the violence.q
barriers and cones to ob- ing now is just a product of
struct police. our government's indiffer-
After hoisting warning flags, ence toward the people
police used tear gas to of Hong Kong," said Rory
try to disperse the crowd. Wong, who was at the
Protesters responded by clash after the march.
throwing bricks and gaso- One neighborhood resi-
line bombs toward the po- dent, Dong Wong, com-
lice. The result was a surreal plained about the tear gas.
scene of small fires and "I live on the 15th floor and I
scattered paving bricks on can even smell it at home,"
the street between the two he said. "I have four dogs,
sides, rising clouds of tear sneezing, sneezing all day.
gas and green and blue ... The protesters didn't do
laser lights pointed by the anything, they just blocked
protesters at the police. the road to protect them-
The protesters eventually selves."
decided to abandon their Earlier Sunday, tens of thou-
position. Two water cannon sands of umbrella-carrying

N. Korea tests new

'super-large' multiple

rocket launcher

Associated Press South Korea's military said
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea fired two sus-
— North Korea says leader pected short-range ballis-
Kim Jong Un has super- tic missiles off its east coast
vised a test-firing of what and that they flew about
it calls "newly developed 380 kilometers (236 miles)
super-large multiple rocket at the maximum altitude of
launcher." 97 kilometers (60 miles).
The Korean Central News North Korea has been
Agency says Saturday's pushing to develop power-
weapons test was success- ful multiple rocket launch
ful and cited Kim as saying systems, whose projectiles
the rocket launcher is "in- show missile-like flight dis-
deed a great weapon." tance and trajectory.
The report likely referred The latest launches were
to the projectile launches the seventh weapons
that South Korea detected test by North Korea in a
on Saturday morning. month.q