Saddened, HK police chief condemns renewed violence

HONG KONG – The city's new police chief said he was sad to see renewed outbreak of violence after days of relative calm, when rioters once again rampaged through the streets in Mong Kok, blocking roads and setting fire to the railway station.

Police had no other options but resume anti-riot operations as the rioters resorted to street violence again, newly-promoted Police Commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung said during a local radio program Sunday.

The demonstrators' violent acts, including arson and attacks on innocent people, could be lethal, he said.

A passerby who was removing the makeshift barricades put up by the rioters was hit in the head by an attacker with a manhole cover in Mong Kok, he pointed out.

Tensions gripped Hong Kong's streets again when about 200 protesters ran amok on the street outside the police station and set fire to an entrance to the Mong Kok MTR station. A gasoline bomb was hurled at a police vehicle.

Tang said the force fired three rounds of tear smoke to disperse the rioters after they used "deadly weapons" against police.

To ease the tremendous strain on police manpower in the six-month-long social unrest, the police chief said that about 1,000 officers who have retired in the past two years would be temporarily reinstated in December.

He also rejected the idea of setting up an independent enquiry commission to investigate alleged police brutality because it could be exploited by anti-government factions to incite hatred toward the force in additional to spreading fake news.

Police seek info on attack

Hong Kong police said Sunday they were investigating the attack on the man who was attacked while removing roadblocks.

Appealing to the public for information and clues relevant to the case, police said they took the case seriously.

The police reiterated that they would not tolerate anyone resorting to violence for any purpose, and would resolutely take law enforcement action to pursue all violations to the end and to restore public order.

*With inputs from Xinhua