It was only when Fire Brigade medics later arrived that his hands were cut free from cable ties and he was placed on a stretcher in a head brace. More riot police poured into the station to keep cameras away. He was treated by neurosurgeons at Kwong Wah Hospital. In Kowloon Bay, a dozen teenagers were held on a bus for two hours by police as a crowd of residents gathered outside to watch. The youths were told to put their hands behind their heads as their bags and identity cards were searched. Police entered the bus looking for protesters who had earlier built a barricade across a road at Mong Kok. At Admiralty station in the centre of Hong Kong’s business and shopping district, two dozen riot police with shields stood at ticket machines and lined the station walls shortly after an authorised

protest rally ended at nearby Tamar Park at 8pm.

Commuters exiting the station warned people arriving from the protest not to enter because “black police” were on the concourse below. Police stand guard outside Mong Kok police station as angry protesters gather outside nearby Prince Edward MTR Station, Hong Kong. Credit:AP The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age watched as riot police stopped Gary, 36, outside Mrs Fields Cookies and began quizzing him over why he was at the station. They searched his bag “looking for weapons”. When he asked why he had been singled out, he was told by police carrying guns, shields, helmets and wearing body armour: “Just because we suspect you." Gary called out to passersby in English to write down the identity numbers of the police.

Loading Wearing blue cut-off jeans and a black t-shirt, Gary told the police, in English, he had been shopping with friends at Chanel and Gap. They could check the CCTV cameras at the shops, he offered. His two female friends watched nervously. “I don’t know why. They say I have some suspect weapons,” Gary said loudly in English. Police pulled out of his bag a sports drink bottle, a white t-shirt, towel and pair of thongs. Staff from the shopping centre said they were scared by the unusual presence of riot police. Commuters who walked past called out that the situation was “ridiculous”.

“I was surprised to see so many police in the station so I just took a photo because this was a weird situation. They wanted to scare me,” Gary told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age after he had been released. “The protest was legal and I was there, but after that I visited my friend at the shops and wanted to catch the MTR home.” Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video “I was worried they would charge me for something I didn’t do. Hong Kong people cannot have fear about this, we need to fight back. No matter if you are police or a normal citizen you have to follow the rules.” The Hong Kong Bar Association issued a statement saying it was concerned police officers were “using excessive force” in arrests, when it was a fundamental duty of police to protect life.

“Beatings upon arrests are apparent and have been widespread,” the association said. Members of the Bar Association assisted arrested protesters. “Arrested persons have also complained of abuses suffered during detention, many of whom required hospitalisation,” the statement said. It was “paramount” for police to respect the “constraints of the law” and excessive use of force against protesters, passersby or residents cannot be condoned, the statement said. “The incidents above have greatly reduced public confidence in the police force.”

More than 1100 protesters have been arrested since June. Gary said that when he was being searched by police he “worried that some people have disappeared for 24 hours or even 48 hours.” A group of elderly church volunteers stayed at Admiralty watching the police. Outside Prince Edward station, police fired rubber bullets after midnight to clear away protesters who had let off a fire extinguisher. The station has drawn protesters each night since Saturday, when at least 40 people were arrested after riot police raced through a train carriage with batons and pepper spray.