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Hong Kong people participate in their annual pro-democracy march on New Year’s Day to insist their five demands be matched by the government in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
UPDATED 2:40 PM PT — Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong continued into the new year as police arrested nearly 400 demonstrators. Wednesday reports said the protests started peacefully, but violence broke out after hundreds formed barricades in the streets.
Activists then started fires and threw gas bombs at law enforcement. Human chains passed supplies to the front lines.
Massive Hong Kong pro-democracy rally ends in police clashes as demonstrators sought to carry their movement's momentum into 2020 https://t.co/yu5r5Wadyu pic.twitter.com/eJjLCBELls
— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 1, 2020
Police responded to the violence by throwing tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowd.
“Some of my officers gave warnings to these rioters not to throw hard objects, including bricks, paint bombs and also water bottles,” stated Senior Police Superintendent Jim Ng Lok-Chun. “Some of our officers were worried about their own personal safety and two handheld tear gas grenades were used to disperse the rioters.”
According to those behind the demonstrations, over one million people took part in the protests. However, police have said the real number was closer to 60,000.
