- Tweeter
republish
Thursday, December 26 marks the third day of clashes in shopping centers between police and pro-democracy protesters. Calls had been launched on the internet for punch actions during the Christmas and New Year period.
With our correspondent in Hong Kong , Stéphane Lagarde
More than 300 people have been arrested by police, and the government is stepping up press releases, three in 24 hours, to dismiss the protesters' accusations of police brutality.
Riot forces intervened in shopping malls during this festive period when demonstrators gathered. The images of families shopping and covering their faces in an attempt to escape the tear gas have once again gone around the world.
For Carrie Lam , the head of the executive, the protesters are the only culprits. They said she " spoiled the party and ruined Christmas ". Coffee shop and restaurant signs belonging to groups in mainland China were, for example, subjected to acts of vandalism.
Implications for tourism
These three days of protest in stores have made sales plummet, complains the tourism industry committee. " But it takes two to dance the tango, " confides this Friday morning the president of the tourism sector, " everyone in society must take their share of responsibility ."
The authorities also have a responsibility, says the South China Morning Post . The Christmas holidays were neither happy nor peaceful for the Hong Kongers, writes the newspaper's editorial writer. The government must find a way out of the crisis.
The protesters have decided to maintain the call to demonstrate on January 1.
VIDEO: Boxing day mall clashes in Hong Kong.
Protesters spent the afternoon of Boxing Day marching through multiple malls chanting anti-government and anti-police slogans. Riot police swooped on dozens of protesters in one mall using pepper spray and blue dye to mark suspects pic.twitter.com/kWtO3jR1wl