A homemade, remote-controlled bomb intended to “kill or to harm” riot control officers was detonated as they deployed against renewed violence in Hong Kong over the weekend, police said.

The “loud thud” on Sunday night happened close to riot officers who had been clearing away a protester-built road block.

It marked the first known use of an explosive device during protests that started in June over a contested extradition bill and have snowballed into an anti-government, anti-police and anti-China movement.

“It exploded less than 2m away from a police vehicle. We have reason to believe that the bomb was meant to target police officers,” Hong Kong’s deputy commissioner, Tang Ping-keung, said.

But despite spiralling violence, widespread vandalism and gasoline-bomb attacks by black-clad hardcore protesters and repeated government appeals for people not to take their side, the protest movement is still rousing determined support from more moderate demonstrators, broadly worried about the future of the semi-autonomous Chinese territory and its freedoms.

Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Show all 32 1 /32 Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester throws a stone into a building at Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 11 November Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Police patrol the streets of Hong Kong the day after an officer shot a protester during a protest on 11 November EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Riot police stand guard during a protest against police brutality in Hong Kong on 27 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters carry traffic cones to build a barricade during anti-government protests in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong on 11 November Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters use obstacles and bricks to block a road in Hong Kong on 11 November AP Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Graffiti on a window smashed by student protesters in Hong Kong Polytechnic University AP Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters carry US and British flags during a demonstration in Hong Kong on 11 November Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester throws a bottle of water as he is shrouded in tear gas during a demonstration in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Journalists take pictures of police officers as they move to disperse protesters in Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures An man lies injured after being attacked by protesters who suspected him of being an undercover police officer on 27 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A man runs among tear gas during a protest in Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters gather on a field in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Pro-democracy protesters turn away from a fire lit outside the Causeway Bay Mass Rapid Transit (MTR) station in Hong Kong on 4 October Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures People rest near rows of riot police officers during a protest in Mong Kok, Hong Kong on 27 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Pro-democracy protesters hold umbrellas as police fire tear gas at them ouside Tai Koo MTR station in Hong Kong on 3 October Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Hong Kong police fire a water cannon from the central government office at protesters during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on October 1 AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters burn a Chinese national flag during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters remove signs celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China during a mass rally in Hong Kong on 1 October AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Cardboard boxes set alight by protesters burn in the streets of Hong Kong during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures An anti-China banner has been placed in a barricade during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A pro-democracy protester runs away after police fire a tear gas canister in Hong Kong's Wong Tai Sin district on October 4 Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters run after police fire tear gas during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 4 October AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Pro-democracy protester take cover after police fire a tear gas canister in Hong Kong's Wong Tai Sin district on 4 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures The rally comes after months of protests on the streets of Hong Kong which began in oppposition to a proposed extradition bill EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures The extradition bill would have allowed the government to extradite people to China if they were facing certain criminal charges AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Opposition to the bill stems from the fear that the Chinese government would abuse this power for political or commercial reasons EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters soon came to demand greater freedom and universal suffrage under the One Country, Two Systems principle AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters are wearing black to symbolise opposition to China as they take to the streets in a "day of grief" while the Chinese state celebrates the 70th anniversary of its communist founding AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester charges forward holding umbrellas as a mass rally breaks out in violence in Hong Kong on 1 October AFP/Getty Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester pours water on a tear gas canister fired by police during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October Reuters Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures A protester carries a vandalised Chinese flag through Hong Kong during a mass rally on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October EPA Hong Kong protesters out in force after months of turmoil: In pictures Protesters carry a banner that denounces the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China on 1 October EPA

A peaceful rally in central Hong Kong’s business district on Monday night drew a giant crowd tens of thousands strong: a chanting, singing throng so massive that demonstrators filled side streets and broad boulevards.

Organisers said they drew 130,000 participants.

Many waved US flags. The rally appealed for the US congress to press on with legislation that would require the secretary of state to annually review Hong Kong’s special economic and trade status, providing a check on Beijing’s influence over the territory.

A banner where speakers whipped up the crowd appealed for Donald Trump, the US president to “liberate Hong Kong”. Another read: ”Make Hong Kong great again.”

The majority of demonstrators wore face masks, a practice first adopted by many to protect their identities amid profound distrust of the police and government but now also a symbol of dissent since Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, made the wearing of masks at rallies punishable by a year in jail.

Widespread defiance of the mask ban and the solid turnout for Monday’s rally suggested that Ms Lam’s government is barely making headway with its efforts to get demonstrators to turn their back on the movement’s more radical and destructive hardcore.

Mr Tang, the deputy commissioner, sought again to swing opinion at his news conference, saying violence against police has reached “a life-threatening level”.

“If members of the public continue to remain silent and condone and tolerate such behaviour they will go from bad to worse,” he said. “Please cut ties with these criminals and rioters.”

Plain-clothed police officer attacked by protesters with petrol bomb in Hong Kong

No casualties were reported from the detonation on Sunday night on a usually busy thoroughfare in Kowloon that was among dozens of protest hotspots.

“There was a loud thud,” Chin-chiu Suryanto, an officer with the police force’s bomb-disposal unit, said.

He held up a photo taken from a police vehicle dash-cam that showed a blurry spot of light, circled in yellow on the picture.

“The intent (was) to kill or to harm the police officers at the scene,” Mr Suryanto said, although he also said the explosion was “not a very strong” one, leaving burn marks.

The “improvised explosive device that was controlled by a mobile phone” was concocted with a “highly effective” explosive and placed in plants, he said.

He likened its use to “terrorist events” seen elsewhere in the world.

Switching tactics, small groups of hardcore protesters wreaked havoc by popping up on Sunday in multiple locations across the city, overwhelming the fanned-out police deployment. Violence stretched into the night.

Police said they arrested 201 people, aged 14 to 62, on Saturday and Sunday. They said 12 officers were injured, one of them slashed in the neck with a sharp object, severing a nerve.

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Mr Tang said two plainclothes officers were beaten bloody by rioters. A black-clad protester was also caught on video dropping a riot officer with a flying kick.

Four men were arrested in those cases, the deputy commissioner said.

Rioters also set a police vehicle aflame with a gasoline bomb and threw more than 20 gas bombs at a police station.

“They are crazy,” Mr Tang said.