On Sunday, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and the Hong Kong Police Force strongly condemned the violence by protesters and warned rioters to immediately stop their illegal acts. 

A spokesperson for the SAR government said that rioters have attacked several peace-loving residents in the past few days. A resident was seriously injured with suspected lethal weapons on Sunday. A news reporter also sustained major burn injuries after being hit by petrol bombs.

The continuous extreme violent acts of masked rioters have seriously breached public peace, posing extensive and imminent danger to the society, which are testimonies to the need to invoke the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to put in place the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation by the SAR government, the spokesperson reiterated, adding that the new law is definitely not an arbitrary act, but a difficult and also a necessary decision.

Hong Kong's High Court on Sunday also rejected to issue an interim injunction against the new anti-mask law. 

The government spokesperson also refuted the rumors on social media platforms that Carrie Lam, chief executive of HKSAR, would invoke the power under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to announce suspension of the stock market, work and classes on Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as freezing the assets of Hong Kong residents, reminding members of the public to be mindful of the intentions behind such rumors.  

"They are fabricated to cause panic and lead Hong Kong society toward further chaos," he said. 

The police's Facebook statement came after masked rioters continued to destroy public facilities on Sunday despite an anti-mask law coming into effect.

After dusk, rioters continued to set fires, block roads and vandalize facilities extensively in various districts. Some even beat up bystanders in Sham Shui Po and Mongkok areas, according to the police.

"The atrocities committed by the rioters are far beyond the bottom line of any civilized society," said the police.