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Police battle protesters as they set streets ablaze in central Hong Kong

  • Plain-clothes officer fires live-round warning shot skywards to drive away demonstrators, while water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets are also used
  • Petrol bombs thrown and fires lit as chaos and violence engulf Admiralty, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, with MTR stations again targeted

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Protesters throw petrol bombs and light fires during a day of mayhem on Sunday. Photo: Felix Wong

Rioting protesters set many parts of Hong Kong’s bustling commercial streets ablaze on Sunday as the city saw a 17th straight weekend of unrest.

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Chaos and violence engulfed Admiralty, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, with riot police battling mobs of protesters for hours. Amid the mayhem, a plain-clothes officer fired a live-round warning shot skywards to drive away protesters who were near him and his colleagues.

More than 100 people were arrested, and as of 10.30pm, 25 had been taken to hospital with injuries.

Sunday’s protests were noticeably more violent than the day before, an ominous sign ahead of National Day on Tuesday, when China will mark the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule.

Protesters have called for a general strike on Monday and vowed to go out in full force on Tuesday to spoil Beijing’s celebration. Sparked by a now-abandoned extradition bill, the protest movement has broadened, and the central government is a clear target.
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