Block roads by day central financial district occupy HK, beaten by police by night (AP). |
HONG KONG, China - Riot police became violent and battled thousands of peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators for control of Hong Kong's streets Saturday, using pepper spray and batons to hold back defiant activists who returned to a protest zone that officers had partially cleared.
Police and activists engaged in running clashes in Mong Kok's dense grid of streets, scuffling for hours. Several protesters were seen knocked to the ground, and dozens were carried or taken away by police.
The government said some 9,000 people gathered at the scene, repeatedly charging police lines in an attempt to retake roads. Authorities said police arrested 26 people. Protesters are pressing for a greater say in choosing the semiautonomous Chinese city's leader in an inaugural direct election, promised for 2017.
Students and activists oppose Beijing's ruling that a committee stacked with pro-Beijing elites should screen candidates in the election. That effectively means that Beijing can vet candidates before they go to a public vote. More
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