Tens of thousands of people have been demonstrating against the government in Hong Kong for months - and now it is clear that there may be further escalation in the Chinese special administrative region. The police threatened to use deadly force against insurgents.
The security forces said in a series of statements that the situation had worsened significantly on Sunday. Accordingly, radical protesters had attacked, among others, with self-built petrol bombs police (learn more about the conflict here).
"If they continue with such dangerous actions, we have no choice but to use a minimum of force, including live ammunition to shoot back," police spokesman Louis Lau said in a video posted on Facebook: "I warn the rebels against it, incendiary bombs, arrows To use cars or other lethal weapons for attacks on police officers. "
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How big the proportion of violent radicals among the thousands of demonstrators is, can not say - the situation is confusing. "Protesters reacted to the police," said a 23-year-old Reuters representative. "I'm ready to go to jail, we fight for Hong Kong here."
The protests had recently sharpened considerably and are increasingly overshadowed by violent clashes. On Sunday, security forces deployed tear gas, rubber bullets and a water cannon.
A policeman responsible for media work was hit by an arrow. Photos of the incident showed the bullet in the policeman's leg. Also some demonstrators built catapults, with which they fired incendiary devices. Others set fire to trees.
For additional unrest caused a performance of Chinese soldiers on Saturday in the streets of the metropolis: For the first time since the beginning of the protests in June, the soldiers left their barracks. Pictures showed, among other things, clearing stones from a road. The action attracted much attention because of fears that China might have the protests thrown out by the military.
Schools and kindergartens remain closed
The Communist leadership in Beijing had recently hinted at intensifying the pace of the conflict. Nevertheless, most observers believe that a military crackdown on the protests is unlikely because China would then have to face international ostracism.
The rioting on Sunday focused mainly on the area around the Polytechnic University, which was occupied by protesters. The colleges in Hong Kong has become a focus of protests. Several universities have now announced that they will finish the semester early. The city's schools and kindergartens are scheduled to be closed on Monday.
The protests are directed against the government. The trigger was the dispute over a planned law, which would have made deliveries to mainland China possible for the first time. Hong Kong's head of government Carrie Lam has indeed withdrawn after much hesitation. But now the demonstrators also demand Lams resignation, free elections, an independent investigation of police violence and impunity for the now more than 4000 arrested.