Hong Kong’s unrest marked yet another unprecedented low with the teargassing of its banking district during the busy lunch hour.
Hong Kong’s central business district faced multiple rounds of tear gas as demonstrators – both typical black-shirted protestors and white-collar workers – took the streets during the lunch hour. Police were present early in the morning and by noon cordoned the area to clear the crowded scene, populated primarily by workers heading for lunch. In addition to multiple rounds of teargas, police also used batons and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.
Multiple banks including, reportedly, HSBC, UBS, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, had sent staff memos to notify them of the option of alternative working arrangements.
Cause
The specific demonstration is believed to be triggered by the death of Alex Chow Tsz-lok, a 22-year old university student, during the weekend whose case is shrouded in mystery due to multiple contradictions between official police statements and ongoing releases of new footage from civilians. Protestors suspect police involvement with his death and also allege that police vehicles had blocked ambulances from entering a local carpark to treat the then critically wounded Chow.
Discontent was further fuelled as police fired multiple rounds of live ammunition in the morning yesterday and hit unarmed protesters at point blank range.
