Pro-democracy activists have vowed to hold their ground through the weekend
Fresh scuffles broke out today between Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters and opponents of the week-long demonstrations.
The protests have been largely peaceful since police last Sunday fired tear gas at crowds demanding Beijing grant Hong Kong the unfettered right to choose its own leader.
*https://uk.news.yahoo.com/protesters-being-targeted-traid-violence-sexual-assaults-amnesty-064537548.html
*www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/03/hong-kong-violent-clashes-residents-storm-protest-site
However, the mood turned ugly yesterday at the most volatile protest site, in the suburb of Mong Kok where some criminal gangs are suspected to be based. Police intervened to prevent a violent escalation.
But a rowdy crowd of around 2,000 filled a major intersection in the small hours of this morning and the atmosphere was highly charged as police in riot gear tried to keep them under control.
Witnesses said about 1,000 protesters faced off in Mong Kok at mid-morning, although there were no uniformed police in sight.
Pro-democracy activists vowed to hold their ground through the weekend.
Student activists, established protest groups and ordinary Hong Kongers have joined forces to present Beijing with one of its biggest political challenges since it violently crushed pro-democracy protests in and around Tiananmen Square in 1989.
Tens of thousands of protesters have staged sit-ins across Hong Kong over the past week.
They are demanding the city's pro-Beijing leader Leung Chun-ying step down and China reverse a decision in August to hand pick the candidates for a 2017 election.
Police said they had arrested 19 men since yesterday, with local state-owned broadcaster RTHK saying eight of them were suspected members of Triads, or Chinese criminal gangs.
Eighteen people were injured, including six police officers, according to the RTHK report.
One of the main student groups behind the "Occupy Central" protest movement said it would pull out of planned talks with the Hong Kong government, because it believed authorities had colluded in the attacks on demonstrators in Mong Kok.
Keywords: hong kong
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