HONG KONG // Hong Kong police clashed with protesters on Sunday, with the government saying 20 people were injured in a fourth night of violence after nearly three weeks of largely peaceful pro-democracy rallies.
Dozens of police with shields and helmets pushed into a crowd of protesters gathered at barricades in the northern district of Mongkok, striking at them repeatedly with batons.
Some demonstrators had to be carried away on stretchers and others treated for head wounds, fractures and bruising.
Police said in a statement on Sunday that they had used “minimum force” as protesters “suddenly attempted to charge” their cordon lines.
However protesters said they had done nothing to provoke officers.
The city’s government information service said 20 people involved in protest activities had been injured between 10pm and 6am — but would not specify how many were demonstrators or police, the extent of the injuries, or if they all took place in the Mongkok area.
Hong Kong has been rocked by rallies, which at times have drawn tens of thousands of people to three main protest sites in the city — the second-largest of which is Mongkok.
Hong Kong’s government had confirmed on Saturday that it would open talks with student leaders on Tuesday.
The city’s deputy leader Carrie Lam told reporters the talks — which will be broadcast live — would be focused on constitutional reform, with both sides allowed to bring five members to the meeting.
But hopes of any breakthrough are slim, with the government unlikely to cede to protesters’ core demands — the resignation of embattled chief executive Leung Chun Ying and free leadership elections for the semi-autonomous city in 2017.
Mr Leung on Sunday night said “external forces” from other countries had been encouraging the mass sit-ins, but refused to identify them.
“I shan’t go into details, but this is not entirely a domestic movement,” he said in a television interview.
Beijing insists that candidates for the vote must be vetted by a committee expected to be loyal to China, and Mr Leung has warned that the country’s communist authorities have no intention of backing down.
Increased force has been deployed in the last few days as officers attempt to clear blockaded roads.
Some protesters could be seen with helmets and makeshift protective gear fashioned out of household items including baby mats.
One volunteer medic said that she had seen four people with head injuries with “serious bleeding” as well as a fractured back.
“One of the men with a head injury had been hit by a police baton three times,” said Carla Chau, 20, a medical student volunteering at the first aid station set up at the Mongkok site.
Some injured protesters were taken to nearby Kwong Wah hospital, where activists said at least 10 or more were being treated for injuries to their legs, arms and heads, including suspected fractures.
One protester said that police had reacted when a front line of demonstrators blocking a key road opened their umbrellas.
“They hit us without any reason when we were standing behind the roadblock. I was hit by a police stick four or five times. I protected myself with my hands and they hit my body... there was blood all over my head and they took me for medical treatment,” said Jackie, 30, sitting with his head bandaged and blood still on his T-shirt.
“We didn’t do anything — some people behind me opened out their umbrellas and then the police started hitting people. There was no aggressive action on our side.”
Police said protesters had attempted to charge police cordons by pulling aside barriers and shoving officers, and confirmed three protesters and an officer were injured.
Police have previously defended their actions as restrained in the face of protesters determined to reoccupy areas of the city.
Accusations that the police are being used as a political tool have dogged the highly respected force, which has a reputation across Asia for honest and impartial policing.
Many residents have become increasingly frustrated over the disruption caused by the protests, with road blockages causing heavy traffic jams in the city of seven million, and local companies complaining of a downturn in business.
The crowds of protesters have shrunk dramatically from their peak of tens of thousands earlier in the month.
* Agence France-Presse
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
Company%20Profile
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The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
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Scores
Day 2
New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227
New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
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Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Apple product price list
iPad Pro
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A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
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12,500 - highly active
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
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The specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
