Protests target mainlanders’ practice of bulk-buying goods to sell at profit in China

This article is more than 8 months old

This article is more than 8 months old

Petrol bombs have been thrown at a Hong Kong police station and dozens of people arrested after a march against parallel trading near the Chinese border.

The Democratic party said about 10,000 people marched peacefully in Sheung Shui district on Sunday, but violence erupted after police ordered protesters to disperse.

Several petrol bombs were thrown at Sheung Shui police station, about 1.5km (1 mile) from where the rally took place.

A pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong has been demanding greater freedoms from Beijing for nearly seven months.

The marchers were protesting against parallel trading, by which thousands of mainlanders cross the border every day to bulk-buy goods such as infant formula to sell at a profit in China.

There is significant resentment against the practice, which frequently leaves goods in short supply in border towns, and has driven up the price of commodities as well as shop rents.

Dino Chan, a Sheung Shui district councillor and one of the rally organisers, said: “If the police could spare one of the cars they drove here to handle the march to instead deal with the trading problem, we would not have to organise this protest.”

He said 42 people were arrested following the violence.

The anti-government protests have been blamed for helping plunge Hong Kong’s economy into recession for the first time in a decade.

The protests were triggered by a proposal to allow extraditions to mainland China, but have morphed into a broader revolt for democratic freedoms.

On Sunday, the violence was not at the level seen during many previous protests, with police using pepper spray to disperse crowds but not teargas.

China and the Hong Kong administration have refused to bow to protesters’ demands, which include direct elections, an inquiry into alleged police misconduct and an amnesty for the nearly 7,000 people arrested so far.