Violence brings Hong Kong to 'brink of total breakdown'

HONG KONG - Hong Kong police fired tear

gas on Tuesday in the Central financial district, over the

harbour in Mong Kok and at universities to break up

pro-democracy protests which they said were leading the city to

the "brink of total breakdown".

The clashes came a day after police shot a protester at

close range and a man was doused with petrol and set on fire in

some of the worst violence in the Chinese-ruled city in decades.

A flash mob of more than 1,000 protesters, many wearing

office clothes and face masks, rallied in Central for a second

day during lunch hour, blocking roads below some of the city's

tallest skyscrapers and most expensive real estate.

After they had dispersed, police fired tear gas at the

remaining protesters on old, narrow Pedder Street. Police made

more than a dozen arrests, many pinned up on the pavement

against the wall of luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co.

"Our society has been pushed to the brink of a total

breakdown," a police spokesman told a briefing, referring to the

last two days of violence in the former British colony.

He said masked "rioters" had committed "insane" acts, such

as throwing trash, bicycles and other debris onto metro tracks

and overhead power lines, paralysing the transport system.

A protester stands in the midst of tear gas during confrontation with police in Hong Kong during the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019. Hong Kong protesters ignored police warnings and streamed past the designated endpoint for a rally Saturday in the latest of a series of demonstrations targeting the government of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. (Elson Li/HK01 via AP)

He said the man set on fire on Monday was still in critical

condition and appealed for information on who was responsible.

Police also fired tear gas at City University in Kowloon

Tong, beneath the Lion Rock, and at Chinese University on the

other side of the mountain, where protesters threw petrol bombs

and bricks at police.

Protesters at City University had stockpiled bricks and

petrol bombs on the bridges and other approaches and were making

small devices with nails. They had overrun the campus and were

smashing up the next-door Festival Walk shopping mall and

setting fires.

Streets inside and outside the Chinese University campus

entrance were littered with bricks, other debris and small

street fires as police tackled some protesters to the ground.

A van used as part of a street barricade was set ablaze.

"IT'S OUR SCHOOL"

The students were taking part in a heated late-night

exchange with the principal when clashes reignited, with police

again firing volleys of tear gas and protesters throwing petrol

bombs, lighting up the sky.

"It's crazy that police have been firing tear gas for more

than 20 minutes. If they didn't come in, we wouldn't clash with

them. It's our school. We need to protect our home," Candy, 20,

a student, told Reuters earlier.

Several people were wounded, including a student reporter

hit in the eye, apparently by a brick, who was sitting in tears

as friends offered comfort.

Police also fired tear gas in the nearby new town of Tai Po

and in the densely populated Kowloon district of Mong Kok, whose

shopping artery Nathan Road has been the scene of many clashes.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said protesters were being

extremely selfish and hoped that universities and schools would

urge students not to take part in the demonstrations.

More than 260 people were arrested on Monday, police said,

bringing the total number to more than 3,000 since the protests

escalated in June. Schools and universities said they would

close again on Tuesday.

Protesters are angry about what they see as police brutality

and meddling by Beijing in the freedoms guaranteed under the

"one country, two systems" formula put in place when the

territory returned to China from British rule in 1997.

China denies interfering and has blamed Western countries

including Britain and the United States for stirring up trouble.

Police protect a police vehicle in Wong Tai Sin district in Hong Kong on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019. Protesters and authorities clashed in Hong Kong again on Saturday, as demonstrators removed a Chinese national flag from its pole and flung it into the city's iconic Victoria Harbour and police fired tear gas after some protesters vandalized a police station. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The United States on Monday condemned "unjustified use of

deadly force" in Hong Kong and urged police and civilians alike

to de-escalate the situation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang urged Britain

and the United States not to intrude, saying: "Hong Kong affairs

are purely China's internal affairs that allow no foreign

interference. We urge the United States, United Kingdom and

other countries to earnestly respect China’s sovereignty."

China has a garrison of up to 12,000 troops in Hong Kong who

have kept to barracks since 1997 but it has vowed to crush any

attempts at independence, a demand for a very small minority of

protesters.