Pro-democracy protesters and riot police have clashed for a second day at Hong Kong airport – one of the world’s busiest transport hubs.
Thousands of demonstrators, many wearing black and covering their faces, barricaded entrances with luggage trolleys – and at least 120 flights were cancelled after check-ins were suspended.
At the peak of Tuesday’s violence, officers swinging batons and armed with pepper spray entered the terminal, with a policeman pulling out a gun at one point.
Police struggled to take control of the airport from protesters
The police seemed overwhelmed at times – and were pelted with bottles as they tried to restore order.
Sky’s chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, who was at the scene, said: “Eventually riot police were deployed to help police buses full of officers get away as they were being attacked and they were dangerously close to getting their doors kicked in.”
Protesters beat up at least two men they suspected of being undercover agents – and of one of them was tied to a trolley as activists rifled through his bag.
It took two hours for paramedics to reach the bound man, who was hurried into an ambulance after a “tug-of-war battle”. The editor-in-chief of the pro-China Global Times newspaper later said he was one of their journalists, and not a police officer.
Fu Guohao, reporter of Chinese media Global Times website, is tied by protesters
Activists in the former British colony have been protesting for weeks. The protests began over a controversial law that would allow suspects to be sent to mainland China. Demonstrators want that extradition bill to be scrapped, amid fears that suspects could face torture or unfair, politically charged trials.
Protesters are also calling for the resignation of Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s leader.
She has warned that the continuing instability, chaos and violence have placed the city on a “path of no return”.
Officer pulls gun on protesters
A third day of demonstrations is set to take place on Wednesday – potentially resulting in further travel disruption.
Some flights were still scheduled to take off early on Wednesday morning, but Cathay Pacific said flights might still be cancelled at short notice.
The sit-in made it virtually impossible for passengers to move around the departure area
On Twitter, US President Donald Trump wrote: “Our intelligence has informed us that the Chinese Government is moving troops to the Border with Hong Kong. Everyone should be calm and safe!”
