Hong Kong was left reeling after a night of violence during which protesters and riot police clashed on the streets, resulting in bloodshed and mass arrests.
Police fired live warning shots into the air as demonstrators and activists set fire to rubbish bins and threw stones at officers in the worst episode of unrest since pro-democracy protests rocked the city in 2014.
The choatic scenes on first night of the lunar new year were prompted by a government decision to clear a central Hong Kong market of unlicensed food hawkers.
It's getting serious pic.twitter.com/OHYlkJJJAH
— LostDutch (@lostdutchhk) February 8, 2016
Night-time street markets are a common sight in many Hong Kong neighbourhoods, especially at holiday time, but the government recently decided to phase them out, citing safety concerns.
Protesters had announced a rally in support of foodsellers against the order to clear Mongkok market, which follows a government decision to implement a city-wide crackdown on street food vendors.
The clashes erupted at 10pm, as police in riot gear prepared to move the vendors. The already-tense situation escalated as some of the more radical “localist” political groups that emerged after the 2014 Umbrella Movement announced on Facebook that they would join the rally.
During the clashes, police armed with batons and hand-held water cannon fired live gunshots into the air and used pepper spray as protesters overturned and set alight rubbish bins and other debris, shattered car windows and threw stones at officers.
TVB/Now TV captured this. At least two shots fired - most people who saw said were shot at air pic.twitter.com/aW6UihEuL6
— Kris Cheng (@krislc) February 8, 2016
At least 24 people were arrested overnight, while 44 policemen and reporters were reportedly injured. It was not known how many protesters were injured. As traffic started to resume in the early hours of Tuesday morning, many crossroads remained blocked by police and protesters’ cordons and fires continued burning.
some fires still smoulder at intersections of HK's most densely populated district but streets largely empty pic.twitter.com/6tct0QsQy3
— Richard Frost (@frostyhk) February 9, 2016
Further arrests took place in the morning, as protesters were leaving the scene and the police regained control of the area.
#NEWSGRAPHIC Police in #HongKong fire shots, teargas in overnight rioting after trying to shift street hawkers @AFP pic.twitter.com/HWoKhp1ug8
— AFPgraphics (@AFPgraphics) February 9, 2016
On Twitter and Facebook, the protest and ensuing clashes were nicknamed #fishballrevolution or #魚蛋個革命, referring to the name of one of Hong Kong’s favourite snacks.
#fishballrevolution #mongkok pic.twitter.com/UpPng6b7jn
— Frederik (@Fred_ericHN) February 8, 2016
By 9am, squads of cleaners had been sent in to start clearing the streets under heavy police guard.
The violent clashes will be looked upon with growing concern by the central authorities in Beijing, who have so far encouraged the Hong Kong government to take a no-compromise attitude to the growing number of protests that have taken place over the past few years.
