Unrest continues after shooting of teenager

Unrest continues after shooting of teenager

Hundreds of anti-government protesters on Wednesday evening blocked roads in different parts of Hong Kong, following the shooting and wounding of an 18-year-old secondary school student by a police officer in Tsuen Wan on Tuesday.



In Causeway Bay, black-shirted protesters gathered on Hennessy Road, bringing buses and trams to a stop, before blocking Yee Woo Street.



In Wong Tai Sin, protesters set up barricades on Lung Cheung Road and in Tsuen Wan, Sha Tsui Road and Castle Peak Road, near Tai Ho Road, were also blocked.



In Tsuen Wan, a China Mobile shop, a Bank of China and a mahjong parlour were vandalised. Police also fired tear gas after protesters threw petrol bombs at the police regional headquarters.



Shops with links to the mainland, or to people who have criticised the protesters, have often been the target of vandalism.



As a result of the unrest, the MTR closed Po Lam and Hang Hau stations on the Tseung Kwan O Line just before 11.30 pm and Tai Wai station, on the East Rail and Ma On Shan lines, just before midnight. Then after midnight, it closed Che Kung Temple and City One stations on the Ma On Shan Line.



The shot student had been part of a group of protesters attacking police officers during widespread unrest on China's National Day, which protesters had dubbed a "Day of Mourning".



Prior to the shooting, another officer had fallen to the ground and had been attacked by several protesters.



The police have defended the officer who fired the shot, saying the use of a live round was in line with the force's regulations and global standards.



The student attends Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College, where students on Wednesday morning staged a sit-in to show their support. He is now in stable condition after undergoing surgery.



The protests, which were originally sparked by the soon-to-be withdrawn extradition bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China and other jurisdictions on a case-by-case basis, have been going on for nearly four months.



The protesters have five demands: The withdrawal of the bill, which the government has now agreed to; an amnesty for those arrested during the protests; the removal of the designation 'rioter'; an inquiry into alleged police misconduct; and dual universal suffrage for the Legislative Council and Chief Executive elections.