Protesters set fire outside police station, disrupt railway operation in HK
Updated 15:49, 08-Sep-2019
CGTN
00:25

Protesters set fire outside a police station in Hong Kong's Kowloon area and disrupted the operation of several mass transit railway (MTR) stations in different parts of the city on Saturday night, leading to police dispersal operations.

Some radical protesters besieged Mong Kok Police Station and aimed laser beams at police officers, forcing the police station's report room services to be suspended.

They set up barricades, occupied nearby carriageways and caused serious obstruction to the traffic.

Some protesters even started fires outside the police station, posing a serious threat to the safety of everyone on the site, the police said.

The police warned the protesters to stop their illegal acts and leave immediately.

"Having given repeated warnings to the protesters but in vain, the police officers may deploy appropriate force to disperse the protesters," the police added.

00:39

In a scene captured by CGTN last night, a Hong Kong policewoman persuaded a reporter to clear the road. 

"Please mind your own safety, please stand up and move back and go back to the pavement," she said.

The reporter was with protesters near a police station in Mong Kok last night, as protesters started fires outside the station the reporter was filming the scene. Police pulled the reporter down by accident amid the chaos, but the reporter held her ground, sitting on the street and blocking the road. The policewoman calmly told the reporter that other people also have the right to use the road.

Protesters also assembled around different MTR stations on Saturday night, disrupting the operation of some MTR lines.

The railway operator announced the closure of several stations on different lines and the suspension of part of the train services "because of an escalation of the situation."

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said in a statement at midnight that it strongly condemns the radical protesters' behavior.

"Radical protesters once again assembled in Mong Kok and Prince Edward areas... blocked roads, attacked the police station and set fires, posing a threat to the safety of police officers and members of the public," said the statement.

The statement pointed out that facilities at MTR stations were vandalized in the past days and there were attempts to interrupt the operation of the airport on Saturday.

The court has already granted separate injunction orders to restrain people from obstructing the operation of the airport and railway, the statement said, adding that vandalistic and obstructive acts would also seriously affect the provision of various public services and people's daily life.

"No one should advocate or take part in those acts. The HKSAR government appeals to members of the public to abide by the law and take into account the rights and the needs of travelers and other members of the public when expressing their views," it added.

(With input from Xinhua)