HONG KONG • Police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of Hong Kong protesters who gathered in the shopping hub of Mong Kok on Saturday night at the site of a 2016 protest that marked a violent turn in the city's pro-democracy movement.

Police said in a statement that a large crowd had formed and "some rioters blocked roads with miscellaneous objects and trash", and hurled "hard objects" at a police vehicle. Officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd, according to the statement.

The clashes followed the cancellation of a rally planned yesterday to mark the fourth anniversary of the so-called Fishball Revolution, a protest against a crackdown on unlicensed street vendors that left dozens of police officers injured.

The demonstration was surprisingly violent by the standards of the time and prompted a government campaign to clamp down on the pro-independence group involved with it.

The incident also helped little-known activist Edward Leung, who played a leading role in the protest, become one of the city's most prominent independence advocates. Leung's campaign slogan - "Reclaim Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Time!" - was widely adopted by participants in protests that gripped the city for much of last year.

More than seven months of pro-democracy protests have battered the former British colony's economy, undermined its reputation for political stability and increased geopolitical tensions between the United States and China.

Beijing has governed Hong Kong since 1997 under a "one country, two systems" framework that preserves its freedom of expression, independent courts and capitalist financial system.

The Fishball Revolution in 2016, which saw demonstrators throw bricks at police officers and start fires, was among the most violent that the city had seen in decades, introducing tactics that have been mimicked by activists during the recent months of anti-government protests.

The popular street food that is sold everywhere is commonly seen at street vendors during Chinese New Year celebrations. Although such stalls are unauthorised, they had been long tolerated by the authorities during the festive season. At the time, activists argued that their protest was aimed at defending a traditional practice.

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But the Chinese government later denounced Leung's group as a "radical separatist organisation" and city officials began to ban those expressing similar views from seeking elected office. Leung was sentenced in 2018 to six years in prison for his role in the incident.

In October, hundreds of protesters turned out to support Leung at an appeal hearing held at Hong Kong's High Court. The current protests were ignited by a proposed law to allow extraditions to jurisdictions including mainland China.

BLOOMBERG