Six Hong Kong police officers drew firearms and one fired a warning shot for the first time since the demonstrations began 12 weekends ago, police said Monday in a statement.

"Being surrounded, under attacks and facing threats to life, six police officers withdrew pistols and stayed on guard while giving warnings to the protesters," said the statement. </s> Beijing: Hong Kong police have fired a live bullet for the first time as clashes with radical protesters worsened on Sunday evening.

In another first, two water cannons were deployed to clear the streets as tensions intensifed.

Around 8pm in Tsuen Wen, in the western New Territories, a group of masked protesters wielding metal and bamboo poles chased a smaller group of police down Sha Tsui Road.

One news video showed an officer stumbling over a water barricade and falling to the ground shortly before a gun shot was heard. The sound of the gun shot stopped the advancing protesters in their tracks. </s> A Hong Kong police officer fired at least one gunshot Sunday, the first time a live round has been used during three months of protests.

Violent clashes broke out between protesters and police in Tsuen Wan, around 10 kilometres (six miles) from central Hong Kong, after a rally at a nearby sports stadium attracted thousands of people.

"According to my understanding, just now a gunshot was fired by a colleague... My initial understanding was that it was a uniformed policeman who fired his gun," a Hong Kong police officer told reporters.

Hong Kong police also used water cannon for the first time Sunday, raising the stakes against protesters who have staged sometimes violent rallies that have rocked the city for the past three months.

Officers were seen with drawn sidearms as protesters clashed with police in the district of Tsuen Wan after a rally at a nearby sports stadium.

The financial hub has been gripped by mass rallies that were initially against a proposed extradition bill to China, but have spun into a wider pro-democracy movement targeting the pro-Beijing government.

As thousands of people marched in the pouring rain to Tsuen Wan, a group of hardcore protesters erected makeshift roadblocks and dug up bricks from the pavements.

After firing tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds, police drove water cannon vehicles onto the streets, unfurling signs warning protesters they would deploy the jets if they did not leave.

The jets were later fired from the moving trucks towards a crowd of protesters who ran away, but hardcore group of protesters later threw bricks and Molotov cocktails in violent confrontations with riot police.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Police had previously said the vehicles, complete with surveillance cameras and multiple spray nozzles, would only be used in the event of a "large-scale public disturbance".

Throughout the protests, Beijing has used a mix of intimidation, propaganda and economic muscle to constrict the protests in a strategy dubbed "white terror" by the movement.

The MTR -- the city's metro -- is the latest Hong Kong enterprise to face public censure, after appearing to bend to Chinese state-media attacks accusing the transport system of being an "exclusive" service to ferry protesters to rallies.

On Sunday the MTR shut stations near the main demonstration area in Tsuen Wan, in the second day of station closures in-a-row.

"However bleak our future is, we're trying to express ourselves rationally," said Peter, in his 20s, before the clashes began.

"We have faith in ourselves and we have faith in our city that some day our demands will be answered."

A second rally in the afternoon of a few hundred people -- some of them family members of police -- criticised the government for leaving officers to handle the brunt of the crisis, while also calling for an independent investigation into the police handling of the protests.

"I believe within these two months, police have got enough opprobrium," said a woman who asked not to be named and said she was a police officer's wife.

The city's officers are often the focus of protesters' anger because of their perceived heavy handling of the rallies.

Ten people were left in hospital after Saturday's clashes -- two in a serious condition -- staff said, without detailing if they were police or protesters.

On Saturday police baton-charged protesters and fired tear gas, while demonstrators threw rocks and bottles later into the night in a working-class neighbourhood.

Protesters say Hong Kong's unique freedoms are in jeopardy as Beijing tightens its political chokehold on the semi-autonomous city.

The city had appeared to have pulled back from a sharp nosedive into violence, with the last serious confrontation taking place more than a week ago, shortly after protests paralysed the airport.

Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on NDTV.com. Catch all the Live TV action on NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates. </s> A Hong Kong police officer has fired a gunshot during protests here, the first time a live round has been used since demonstrations broke out in June.

Images showed several other officers also pointed guns at protesters who were chasing them with sticks and poles.

In another first, police deployed water cannon against protesters on Sunday, the BBC reported.

The protests began in the city’s Tsuen Wan district and have since spread to the district of Tsim Sha Tsui.

Demonstrations were sparked by an extradition bill but have since morphed into broader anti-government protests, and developments on Sunday mark a serious escalation in the unrest.

Police told local media that the gunshot was fired as a warning to protesters, and that several officers had been taken to hospital as a result of the clashes.

But police Superintendent Leung Kwok-wing did not say where the shot was aimed.

During the melee, one older man was seen on his knees pleading with police not to shoot.

Before the scuffle, black-clad protesters had thrown projectiles at police, including bricks and petrol bombs.

Police also fired rubber bullets and tear gas, and used two water cannon vehicles to clear barricades and disperse crowds.

Images on social media show the vehicles being driven through the streets of Tsuen Wan, where a group of demonstrators had set up roadblocks and dug up bricks from the pavement.

The vehicles are equipped with surveillance cameras and multiple water-cannon nozzles, and police had said they would only be used in the event of a “large-scale public disturbance”.

Earlier this month, human rights group Amnesty International warned that the cannons could cause serious injuries and lead to further tensions.

There was another, more peaceful rally on Sunday comprised of a few hundred people, some of them family members of the police, who called for a political solution to the crisis.

Activists have criticised the police for being heavy-handed during the pro-democracy rallies.

Several people were hospitalised on Saturday after violent clashes.

The latest round of violence comes after an uneasy peace that lasted a little more than a week. </s> BBC China Correspondent Stephen McDonell tweeted: “Hong Kong riot police charging into a subway station pursuing pro-democracy activists and firing into them at point blank range. I’ve seen police being provoked here but I’m speechless. Carrie Lam says no police inquiry needed they’re investigating themselves.”

The Hong Kong Government responded on their official website condemning the “violence” of the protestors. The government statement said: “Violent protesters vandalised public property and blocked roads. “They also besieged police stations, aimed laser beams and hurled bricks to attack police officers.

Tensions erupted again as protestors employed innovative tactics to stay safe and evade the police as the city enters its 10th week of mass demonstrations and unrest. In the Wan Chai district, petrol bombs and bricks were thrown at riot police who responded by charging at protesters with batons. A number of people, including a police officer, were injured in the clashes. Police were also filmed firing rubber bullets at close range inside a subway station, while other officers were seen beating people with batons on an escalator.

Two months of demonstrations sparked by a controversial extradition bill show no signs of abating, with both sides hardening their stance. Their demands have broadened to include calls for more democracy and for Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam to resign. On Sunday afternoon, a peaceful rally in the city's Victoria Park sparked clashes when protesters moved out of the area and marched along a major road despite a police ban. There were confrontations in several central districts and police used rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators. </s> Police in Hong Kong have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in a second day of violent clashes.

The latest trouble erupted when thousands of people occupied opposite ends of the centre of the former British colony on Sunday.

Protesters occupied two areas in central Hong Kong following a mid-afternoon rally against police use of tear gas at a demonstration the previous weekend.

One group blocked an area near Chinese government offices and began to move forward as night fell but after they threw eggs and ignored police warnings, officers fired tear gas to halt the advance.

Hiding behind barriers, the protesters used umbrellas to protect their identities and defend themselves from police.

The latest confrontation came after a demonstration at Chater Garden Park in the financial district – the second to take place without police permission.

Protest leaders said they had to speak out about the violence.

Organiser Ventus Lau said: ‘We need to have a protest to show that we are strongly against this kind of brutality and we need them to respond to our demands.’

Police superintendent Louis Lau said: ‘The police must prevent aggressive protesters from exploiting a peaceful procession to cause trouble and violent clashes.’

Later on Saturday, police and protesters squared up to each other in the town of Yuen Long where demonstrators in a railway station were attacked last week.

Officers made 11 arrests and over 20 people were injured, including march organiser Max Chung, while 24 people were taken to hospital.

Amnesty International condemned the police response after Hong Kong has been engulfed by violence for nearly two months.

After a proposed extradition law to send suspects to China to stand trial was scrapped, protesters have been calling on chief executive Carrie Lam to step down.

They also want an investigation launched into whether police have used too much force to quell the uprising. </s> A black car shot firecrackers at a crowd protesting outside the Tin Shui Wai police station in Hong Kong on Tuesday night, injuring at least ten of them.

Hundreds had gathered at the site to raise their voice against the arrest of two young protestors.

While there is a formal ban on firecrackers in Hong Kong, footage and photos show how the black car zipped through at around 02:30 am, firing rounds of crackers at the crowd. The crowd ran for cover but several people were burnt and knocked to the ground, and are reportedly suffering from sensory damage.

The car was a Toyota bearing the licence plate LP3369. However, public records show that car registered with the plate should be a black Nissan, raising questions over whether the car was using a false plate, reported the Hong Kong Free Press.

In over a month of protests, Hong Kongers have delt with rubber pellets, tear gas, an unidentified gang of men in white-shirts who beat them with sticks and rods and now firecracker attacks. What started as protests against an Extradition Bill that would authorise China to declare and take action against anyone they considered a national threat has now become an increasingly violent fight for autonomy.

Watch: In Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters were beaten up by unidentified men in white shirts



Hong Kong: Protestors storm Parliament, deface walls on the anniversary of handover to China



Watch: In Hong Kong, a crowd of nearly two million protestors parts to make way for an ambulance </s> Hong Kong police warn they 'will use force' as they fire tear gas at anti-extradition protesters

Hong Kong police have fired pepper spray at protesters angry about an extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators, most of them young people dressed in black, had gathered peacefully outside government buildings in the Chinese-ruled city before tempers flared, with claims some threw bottles at officers. </s> Commuters are reflected on a door panel of a subway train as they wait for the resumption of the services after being disrupted by protesters at Fortress Hill MTR station in Hong Kong, Monday, Aug. 5, 2019. Protesters snarled the morning rush hour by blocking train and platform doors to prevent trains from leaving stations. Subway and train operator MTR said Monday that service had been partially suspended on five lines because of a number of door obstruction incidents. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

HONG KONG (AP) — The Latest on the protests in Hong Kong (all times local):

An official says Hong Kong’s police are fully supported by the government and there is no need to deploy China’s military to cope with increasingly violent anti-government protests.

Senior Superintendent Kong Wing-cheung of the Police Public Relations Branch said Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other Hong Kong officials have stated the same on multiple occasions.

Kong told reporters at a daily briefing Monday that he personally believes there is no chance of a deployment of the People’s Liberation Army.

Speculation of an intervention by China’s military has been fueled in part by a slick publicity video it released last week showing troops firing tear gas and dealing with a mock street demonstration.

Kong said he doesn’t feel the police are being made scapegoats over the violence and are fulfilling their mandate to protect the community and maintain law and order.

Weeks of protests have demanded the dissolution of the legislature, an investigation into police use of force against protesters and full democracy for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

Hong Kong police have arrested 420 protesters since June 9 on charges including rioting, unlawful assembly, possessing offensive weapons and assaulting officers and obstructing police operations.

Police spokeswoman Yolanda Yu Hoi-kwan told reporters Monday that police have fired more than 300 non-lethal bullets and around 1,000 tear gas grenades.

Yu said 139 officers had been injured in clashes, with two still hospitalized with fractures.

She said violence has been escalating, with protesters using gasoline bombs and fire, including sending a trolley full of burning trash hurtling toward officers.

Protesters are demanding the dissolution of the legislature, an investigation into police use of force at protests and full democracy for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

Police have fired tear gas at a second location in Hong Kong as they face off with protesters at multiple locations in the city.

Protesters took over a major road outside the main government office on Monday, threw eggs and bricks at the building and punctured large water-filled barriers set up by police to keep them away.

Police responded with tear gas, but the protesters did not immediately disperse.

Earlier, police used tear gas on protesters in the Wong Tai Sin district.

The actions follow a weekend of clashes between protesters and police. The protesters are demanding the dissolution of the legislature, an investigation into police use of force at protests and full democracy for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

Droves of protesters have filled public parks and squares in several Hong Kong districts to take part in a general strike.

Following a weekend of protests, demonstrators disrupted subways, air traffic and weekday activities Monday in an effort to bring more attention to their demands.

Hong Kong has seen pro-democracy protests for about two months.

Police in at least one district have used tear gas to disperse crowds.

Protesters dressed in black sat in the shade of office buildings in the city’s business district with open umbrellas and posters condemning the police as “gangsters.”

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says she has no plans to resign over the civil unrest targeting her administration.

Lam said she took responsibility for problems as chief executive and was determined to see the situation resolved.

She spoke at a news conference Monday as protesters blocked morning trains and called for a citywide strike. More than 100 flights were canceled.

Lam said the latest protests had moved from extradition legislation, which her administration had shelved, and now were operating with “ulterior motives” targeting Hong Kong’s prosperity and security.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says recent protests have pushed the city to the “verge of a very dangerous situation” but the government will be resolute in ensuring public order.

A tired looking Lam delivered the remarks at a news conference Monday morning that follows weeks of daily marches and demonstrations that have frequently devolved into violent confrontations, with police deploying tear gas rubber bullets and other crowd control measures.

Lam said the violence and disruptions were creating anxiety among citizens and now was the time to set aside differences and “rally together.”

Protesters were blocking trains during the morning rush hour and called for a citywide strike by workers. More than 100 flights were cancelled at the city’s airport, and Hong Kong media say that the airport express train service has been suspended.

Hong Kong’s leader will speak to the media as protesters block morning trains and call for a citywide strike by workers.

The office of Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she would hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Monday.

The strike has already taken hold at the airport, where 100 flights have been cancelled. Hong Kong media say that the airport express train service has been suspended.

Protesters used a now-familiar tactic of blocking train doors from closing to disrupt the morning commute.

The actions follow a weekend of clashes between protesters and police. The protesters are demanding the dissolution of the legislature, an investigation into police use of force at protests and full democracy for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

Hong Kong media say more than 100 flights have been cancelled at the city’s airport as a general strike called to support pro-democracy protests gets underway.

Public broadcaster RTHK said Monday that domestic carriers such as Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines were the most affected.

A citywide strike and demonstrations in seven districts in Hong Kong have been called for Monday afternoon. They follow a weekend of clashes with police on the streets.

Hong Kong has seen protests all summer. A movement against an extradition bill that would have allowed residents to be sent to mainland China to stand trial has expanded into demands for an investigation into alleged police abuse at protests and the dissolution of the legislature.

Protesters in Hong Kong have snarled the morning rush hour by blocking train and platform doors to prevent trains from leaving stations.

Subway and train operator MTR said Monday that service had been partially suspended on four lines because of a number of door obstruction incidents.

It’s the third time in three weeks that protesters have disrupted train service. The action followed a weekend of clashes with police on the streets and ahead of a general strike and more demonstrations called for Monday afternoon.

Hong Kong has seen protests all summer. A movement against an extradition bill that would have allowed residents to be sent to mainland China to stand trial has expanded into demands for an investigation into alleged police abuse at protests and the dissolution of the legislature.
In an escalation of the ongoing protests, a police officer fires a gun whilst clearing protesters; this is the first time a gun has been fired by a police officer in Hong Kong since 1967.