Police used tear gas and water cannon against some of the tens of thousands of Hong Kongers who were angry on Sunday (October 20th) after the violent attacks this week on two pro-democracy activists.

The authorities banned the rally in Tsim Sha Tsui, a densely populated area known for its luxury shops and hotels. They had invoked security reasons, after the violent clashes between the police and the most radical fringe of protesters.

Tens of thousands of people have nevertheless participated in this banned gathering, hearing for the twentieth consecutive weekend of demonstrations, continue to put pressure on the local government acquired in Beijing.

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In a typical scenario, the march was peaceful, until small groups of radical protesters dressed in black threw Molotov cocktails at a police station, subway stations and Chinese banks.

The police then responded with tear gas. A gun, projecting a blue liquid to identify the protesters, mixed with a pepper solution burning the skin, was deployed on one of the most commercial streets of Hong Kong, Nathan road, where were thousands of demonstrators.

As they fled through the streets, the most radical protesters stayed to stop the advance of the police, setting fire to makeshift barricades.

"The more they repress, the more we resist"

After the authorities banned the wearing of masks during the demonstrations in early October, Hong Kong experienced a surge of violence, with many acts of vandalism targeting companies accused of supporting the pro-Beijing government.

But the violent attacks on two pro-democracy activists this week have angered the protesters.

On Wednesday, Jimmy Sham, one of the figures of the pro-democracy camp, was hospitalized after being violently assaulted with hammers by strangers. Jimmy Sham is the principal spokesperson for the Civilian Human Rights Front (FCHR), an organization that advocates non-violence and has been behind the most peaceful protests of recent months.

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On Saturday night, a 19-year-old man distributing leaflets calling for demonstrations was badly wounded by an assailant who stabbed him in the neck and abdomen.

Since then, a human tide has invaded Sunday the streets of Hong Kong, participants hearing to show that these attacks have not undermined their determination. "The more they repress, the more we resist," said a 69-year-old protester, agreeing to deliver only her last name, Yeung.

Intensification of violence

Between the two camps, pro-democracy as pro-Beijing, violence intensified, accentuating the ideological cleavage. In recent weeks, pro-democracy activists have beaten people who had orally expressed disagreement with their movement.

These attacks usually occurred during protests, with angry participants attacking people who do not share their beliefs.

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Since mid-August, eight figures of the movement, including political figures, have been attacked by strangers. These were more targeted attacks, described as "white terror" by demonstrators who accused organized crime groups of forming an alliance with supporters of Beijing.

For the Chinese regime, these demonstrations are the result of a Western conspiracy to forcibly impose democracy on the autonomous territory.

With AFP