Hong Kong protests: Two ‘critical’ after day of chaos

GBnews24desk//

Violent demonstrations in Hong Kong caused two people undergoing critical condition after another day of the protest.

The first person, a protester, was injured on Monday morning when he was shot by a police officer.

He is the third person shot by police since rallies began 24 weeks ago. Later, a pro-Beijing supporter was doused in flammable liquid and set alight after arguing with protesters, who are demanding greater democracy and police accountability.

There were a number of other flashpoints during the day, with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas in other parts of Hong Kong. At one point, tear gas was fired in the central business district – a rare occurrence during working hours on a weekday.

Monday’s violence followed a weekend of vigils and protests after a 22-year-old student protester died on Friday. Alex Chow had been in hospital since he fell from the ledge of a car park during a police operation a week ago.

The protests started in June against a now-withdrawn plan to allow extradition to mainland China, but have since morphed into wider pro-democracy demonstrations