HONG KONG _ A day of peaceful protests in Hong Kong turned into chaos Saturday night as police and protesters faced off in some of the toughest battles seen yet, fueled by fury over the recent arrests of prominent pro-democracy activists.
Protesters set fire to barricades and hurled bricks and petrol bombs. Police fired water cannons, tear gas and pepper balls. Numerous arrests were made, some by undercover police dressed as protesters.
Firemen were called to douse a blaze set by protesters close to police headquarters.
The day began with thousands of people marching through downtown streets to protest the arrests of pro-democracy lawmakers, student leaders and councilors in recent days, including 22-year-old Joshua Wong.
Many in the crowd saw the march as a crucial moment to stand in support of pro-democracy activists after the arrests, which they saw as designed to frighten people into staying away from such demonstrations.
Defying a police ban, they marched and chanted, paralyzing traffic in a fashionable shopping neighborhood and descending on the Hong Kong Central Government Office, where police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and deployed water cannons late afternoon Saturday.
As darkness fell, many protesters dispersed, but others blocked roads, set fire to barricades and hurled bricks and petrol bombs at police in one of the most intense battles seen between protesters and riot police. The demonstrators moved swiftly from one location to another to evade police. Some subway stations were closed by authorities to hamper protesters' movements.
Hong Kong authorities, in a sweep on Thursday and Friday, arrested Wong and Agnes Chow of the youth activist movement Demosisto; lawmakers Andy Chan, Au Nok-hin, Jeremy Tam and Cheng Chung-tai; district councilor Rick Hui; and former president of the Hong Kong University student union Althea Suen. Another Demosisto leader, Ivan Lam, was charged but not arrested because he was not in Hong Kong.
The crowd, which initially included many elderly people, children and people in wheelchairs, gathered early afternoon at Southorn Playground sports stadium in Wan Chai district for a prayer meeting, where they chanted a phrase meaning "Add oil!" to encourage action, and sang, "Hallelujah to the Lord."
The protesters left the stadium and marched through Hong Kong to the government headquarters.
"They arrested pro-democracy activists so we have to come out and speak out about our concerns," said Joycelyn Yuen, 50, at the prayer meeting. "I was shocked by the arrests. It's designed to scare people from coming out today, so we have come out to support the pro-democracy activists."
Yuen said she was also protesting police violence against demonstrators. "We have to support these young people. They have sacrificed so much for us. They're getting arrested and beaten," she said.
She called on the government to meet Hong Kongers' demands, including universal suffrage, an independent inquiry into police brutality and the withdrawal of a bill that would have allowed extradition of suspects to mainland China.
Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam insists the extradition law is dead. Other demands include dropping charges against protesters and reversing a government characterization of the demonstrations as "riots."
Police banned another march planned for Saturday by the Civil Human Rights Front. The march was to commemorate the fifth anniversary of a 2014 decision by Beijing ruling out a democratic vote for the chief executive and the Legislative Council, or parliament, triggering protests. The CHRF, which has led several massive peaceful protests over the summer, canceled the march, which police said posed a danger to public safety.
The Hong Kong government Saturday ruled out a move to meet the pro-democracy movement's demands for full democracy anytime soon, calling universal suffrage "extremely controversial."
"Rashly embarking on political reform will further polarize society, which is an irresponsible act," a government statement said.
The statement hinted that the protests hampered prospects for democracy, saying that while universal suffrage was "the ultimate aim," this could only happen "with the principle of a gradual and orderly approach."
Democratic Party legislator Lam Cheuk-ting, wearing a T-shirt with the word, "Justice," drew wild cheers from supporters at the stadium. He said the arrests were a deliberate government attempt "to try to stop us from exercising our rights to express our political views and our rights to peaceful assembly.
"Of course Beijing is the decision-maker for the Hong Kong government. I don't think Carrie Lam can make any decision. She is just a puppet of the Beijing government," he said in an interview.
Cheuk-ting was attacked at Yuen Long Station in July by a violent mob of men in white T-shirts wielding long wooden bars, whom he accuses of having gangland links. His right hand was broken and he sustained a severe cut on his mouth, needing 18 stitches.
"Last month I was attacked by gangsters in Yuen Long and injured seriously. But I forget about the threat to my personal safety. I have no choice but to stand together with the Hong Kong people."
By late afternoon, protesters chanting "Liberate Hong Kong" descended on government headquarters. Riot police moved in and a water cannon fired water dyed bright blue, designed to enable police to identify and arrest protesters leaving the scene.
One 30-year-old protester, a clerk who gave his name only as Chan for fear of reprisals, said the arrests of activists endangered Hong Kong's freedom of speech.
"It's critical that as Hong Kong people we use every opportunity to express our opinions. I'm afraid our freedom will be taken away in the future. If that happens, one of the most important things in Hong Kong will disappear."
He said people refused to allow themselves to be afraid, despite the arrests.
"I don't think the people of Hong Kong are afraid. The Hong Kong government wants people to stay at home and not come out to express our opinions. We have to come out and speak out about what we want."
