
Protesters in Hong Kong have been blasted with tear gas as riot police amp up their efforts to quell violence in the city - the same night a 14-year-old boy was shot by an off-duty officer, according to local reports.

Tear gas was hurled towards protesters as they crouched with umbrellas to try to avoid the fumes which enveloped the region this evening.

It came just hours after a teenager was shot in the thigh when a group of masked demonstrators besieged, attacked and set ablaze a police officer using petrol bombs, it was reported.

An unverified social media clip shows the plain-clothed officer being beaten to the ground and then desperately running away from the flames while wearing a white T-shirt after the assault in the middle of a road.

It is thought the officer then fired a bullet in to the teenager's leg.

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Riot police officers intervene in protesters with tear gas during a rally after the government invoked an emergency powers to ban masks at demonstrations in a direct stance against protesters moving forward in Hong Kong, China

Blockades were set up during the rally to fight back against the government's use of emergency powers to ban masks

A large fire envelopes Causeway Bay MTR subway station during the rally as protesters use petrol bombs to light blazes

Tear gas is hurled towards protesters as riot police in full protection gear advance on crowds during another night of chaos

A protester covers his tattoo to become unidentifiable by police during this evening's rally against the Chinese government

Protesters were seen lifting a barricade to allow an ambulance through the crowds to get to those most in need of medical help.

A government statement said a plainclothes officer fired a single shot in self-defence Friday night after a large group of protesters attacked him in the northern Yuen Long district.

Rampages erupted across Hong Kong as demonstrators acting in defiance of a new mask ban attacked Chinese bank outlets, vandalised subway stations and set alight street fires, prompting police to respond with tear gas.

According to 01HK.com, the police officer works for the criminal investigation department.

Protesters were seen lifting a barricade to allow an ambulance through the crowds to get to those most in need of help

Young protesters make their way to key blockade sites during this evening's protest as a 14-year-old boy is shot in the thigh

A fire security system extinguished a fire at the MTR subway station after protesters set the building alight earlier today

He was said to be inside his private car in the city's Yuen Long district at around 8pm when protesters spotted him and started to smash his car windows to attack him.

The officer then got surrounded and assaulted by a large crowd. He opened fire during the chaos, the report said.

Footage released by 01HK shows bystanders screaming and fleeing after a gunshot was heard from the centre of the crowd, thought to be fired by the officer. It was unclear if the boy was shot at the time.

The officer was then attacked by activists who threw the first petrol bomb at him. As he was making phone calls to ask for support, activists hurled another petrol bomb.

Police said the officer opened fire to protect his own life after being beaten to the ground by a large crowd and faced serious danger.

A bus makes its way towards a blockade as one protesters stands on his phone and others stand in groups in Hong Kong

Riot police charge towards protesters as efforts to quell the region's destruction were amped up this evening

A taxi driver sits in his car as riot police and protesters surround him - trapping him in place until the violence calmed down

An official says police are trying to verify if the boy was hit by a stray bullet or shot by a police officer who fired his gun after being attacked.

The official requested anonymity because he isn't authorised to speak to the news media.

The Hospital Authority says a 14-year-old boy was hospitalised in serious condition but the authority didn't provide details.

A protester wearing a gas mask breaks the window of a shop while another, holding an umbrella, stands behind him to watch

Protesters wore more to cover their face amid the mask ban. The city's leader Carrie Lam today invoked emergency law today

Protesters wearing masks and other covers including hats and gloves to protect their identity gather in Admiralty district

Police told 01HK.com that activists tried to seize the officer's gun which he had dropped on the ground during the tussles.

An 18-year-old student activist was seriously wounded after being shot in the chest with a live bullet by police on Tuesday, sparking fury among protesters.

The city's police have reportedly been given more liberty to use force to deal with protesters in difficult situations.

China has warned the 'Hong Kong chaos cannot continue indefinitely' and 'a critical time has arrived to end the violence' after the city's leader Carrie Lam today invoked colonial-era emergency law to prohibit protesters from wearing masks.

Violence has broken out in Hong Kong Friday night after masked protesters took to the streets to defy a new law prohibiting activists from wearing masks during rallies. Pictured, a masked demonstrator set a fire at the entrance of a subway station

The city's government has barred demonstrators from having their faces covered with an emergency law, but hardcore activists ignored the ban and still protested with masks. Pictured, activists burn items at the entrance of a metro station

Social media footage shows one man wearing a white T-shirt besieged, beaten and set ablaze by a group of masked demonstrators. Local news site Apple Daily reported that the man being attacked was an off-duty police officer who had shot a young man during clashes caused by a traffic accident. Onlookers then threw petrol bombs at the suspected cop

Immediately after Lam's announcement, thousands of people defiantly took to the streets - still with their face covered - as they chanted 'Hong Kongers, resist'.

Lam's latest move aims to curb the city's escalating violence caused by anti-government demonstrations that have lasted for nearly four months.

This is the first time the city's government has used emergency powers in more than 50 years in a dramatic move intended to quell intensifying unrest.

The Beijing-backed leader said the decision would come into force on Saturday, adding: 'We must stop the violence'.

Offenders could face up to a year in jail and protesters will also be prohibited from painting their faces to hide their identity.

Lam made the announcement exactly one month after promising to withdraw an extradition bill which caused the movement.

Protesters burn items outside the Causeway Bay metro station as people hit the streets after the city launched a ban on masks

Riot police arrive at Causeway Bay area as people defy the government's ban on face masks and rally across the financial hub

Prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong said the law 'marks the beginning of the end of Hong Kong'.

A spokesperson from Beijing said it was 'extremely necessary' to set up the law to combat 'violent and criminal' activities in the city. Beijing again blamed the unrest on foreign forces.

Some activists were said to be handing out masks to participants in an act of defiance to the government's measures, reported local media.

Students gathered in shopping malls around the city to sing 'Glory to Hong Kong', an unofficial anthem of the pro-democracy movement to show their disapproval.

A protester looks on while wearing a mask in Admiralty district late on October 4 during a rally against the anti-mask law

A protester gestures with an umbrella during a rally against an anti-mask law meant to deter anti-government protesters

Anti-government protesters wearing masks smash Mong Kok Mass Transit Railway (MTR) station during a demonstration

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam has banned pro-democracy protesters from wearing masks during rallies in a bid to curb the city's escalating violence caused by months-long anti-government unrest. Pictured, masked protesters march in the street on Friday as they take part in a rally held to show opposition to the new rule announced by the Lam at a press conference

Rallies were reported across the city, including the areas of Admiralty, Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Prince Edward and Mong Kok.

Protesters marched through the streets peacefully while shouting 'covering faces is no crime, legislation is unreasonable' and 'fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong'.

Cathay Pacific, the city's flag carrier, has announced to suspend its in-town check-in service amid wide-spread chaos, which saw activists blocking the road and burn banners celebrating China's 70 years of Communist rule.

Many pro-democracy demonstrators have worn face masks to hide their identities and shield themselves from tear gas which has been regular occurrences on the street across the city.

The Hong Kong government is taking a tougher stance over the territory's most disruptive crisis since it reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.

A protester wearing green trousers and trainers sits on a wall with images of V from Vendetta comic book film placards

A shop has been vandalised by protesters who think it is associated with organised crime groups during the protest today

A sign reads 'roads at central and Wanchai are obstructed'. Hundreds of protesters with umbrellas mill in the streets

A demonstrator wearing a face mask gestures while people gather in the Admiralty area to protest against the anti-mask law

Rampages erupted this week after a student protester was shot in the chest with a live round by police and later charged with rioting and assaulting an officer.

Lam decried the recent escalation of violence at a press conference this afternoon.

Hong Kong's richest man donates £100m to firms hurt by unrest Hong Kong's wealthiest man will donate more than £100 million to local businesses hurt by the city's ongoing chaos. This summer's protests, sparked by rising public anger towards Beijing's rule, has battered the economy of the Asian financial hub. Li Ka-shing's announcement came shortly before the city's chief executive Carrie Lam announced a law banning face masks in public. The 91-year-old billionaire said small and medium-sized businesses would benefit from the fund, worth HK$1 billion (£104 million, US$128 million). The donation will be distributed in partnership with the government. Advertisement

'People are asking can Hong Kong go back to normal? Is Hong Kong still a place where we can have our sweet home?' Lam asked as she announced the ban.

She said the ban targeted violent protesters and rioters and 'will be an effective deterrent to radical behavior'.

The decision applies to people at 'illegal' gatherings who use violence and exempts those who wear masks for 'legitimate need'. Lam said she would go to the legislature later to get legal backing for the rule.

But a government document detailing the move says it will not only cover unauthorised or illegal assemblies, but also apply to gatherings approved by police.

The document was given to reporters during Lam's news conference.

Lam, who attended China's National Day festivities in Beijing this week, said the ban was her own government's call, not an order from Beijing.

She reiterated she would not quit, saying her departure would not resolve the crisis.

She denied the act was a step closer to authoritarian rule, saying she used a valid legislation to restore order.

The leader also urged the international community to understand her government's plight and have 'sympathy'.

China today condemned the 'reckless and criminal behaviour' by some Hong Kong activists.

An anti-government protester wears a mask during a demonstration in Wong Tai Sin district to denounce the new regulation

Anti-government protesters burn a banner that commemorates the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 4 after Lam announced the new law to ban demonstrators from wearing masks during protests

Yang Guang, a spokesman for China's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, said in Beijing that it was evident that the protests were becoming a 'colour revolution' with the interference from 'external forces'.

What is Hong Kong's mask ban? Hong Kong residents have been banned from wearing masks during rallies. The rule applies to people at 'illegal' gatherings who use violence and exempts those who wear masks for 'legitimate need'. Protesters will also be prohibited from painting their faces to hide their identity. Police will have the power to ask a person to remove their masks and those who resist can be sentenced for up to six months The ban covers any procession with over 30 people and assemblies of more than 50 people. The ban carries a penalty of up to a year in jail. Advertisement

Yang said: 'Some street resistance is turning in the direction of masterminded, planned and organised violence crimes and has seriously threatened public safety.'

He described the mask ban as 'lawful, reasonable, equitable' and 'extremely necessary'.

The city's Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-Chiu said the mask ban would carry a jail sentence for up to a one year or a fine of up to HK$25,000 (£2,584).

He said protesters would also be prohibited from painting their faces to hide their identity.

He added police would have the power to ask a person to remove their masks and those who resist can be sentenced for up to six months.

The ban covers any procession with over 30 people and assemblies of more than 50 people, according to Lee.

Yesterday, local media reported that Lam planned to bypass the legislature to announce the ban under emergency powers to quash the city's chaos.

Thousands of people, all wearing masks, chanted slogans calling for greater democracy as they marched in the city's business district during lunch time ahead of Lam's press conference.

One protester told reporters: 'Will they arrest 100,000 people on the street? The government is trying to intimidate us but at this moment, I don't think the people will be scared.'

Immediately defying the ban set to take effect Saturday, thousands of activists cram streets shouting 'Hong Kongers, resist'

A woman holds up a handbill as protesters gather in the street in the heart of Hong Kong's commercial district on October 4

Protesters carry on wearing masks as they block a street after the city's government passed a new law to curb demonstrations

The ban was passed under a colonial-era emergency law known as The Emergency Regulations Ordinance.

The law, a relic of British rule enacted in 1922 to quell a seamen's strike which was last used to crush riots in 1967, gives broad powers to the city's chief executive to implement regulations in an emergency.

Hong Kong teen shot by police was 'rioting', prosecutor says The 18-year-old protester shot in the chest by Hong Kong police this week was throwing bricks and 'rioting' at the time he was wounded, a prosecutor told a court on Friday. Tsang Chi-kin was shot at close range on Tuesday as he fought officers with what appeared to be a white pole. He has been charged with rioting, which carries a maximum 10-year sentence, and assaulting an officer. The prosecutor said Tsang was more violent than others who have attended recent rallies. Advertisement

Analysts have warned that the use of the Ordinance for the first time in more than half a century could set a dangerous precedent.

Activists and many legislators have also concerned the ban could be counter-productive, impractical and difficult to enforce in a city bubbling with anger and where tens of thousands have often defied police bans on rallies to take to the streets.

Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said: 'Even though the mask ban is just a small move under the Emergency Ordinance, it is a dangerous first step.

'If the anti-mask legislation proves to be ineffective, it could lead the way to more draconian measures such as a curfew and other infringement of civil liberties.'

'This is a watershed. This is a Rubicon,' pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo told AFP.

'And I'm worried this could be just a starter. More draconian bans in the name of law could be lurking around the corner.'

'It is ironic that a colonial-era weapon is being used by the Hong Kong government and the Chinese Communist Party,' Joshua Wong, a leading activists who has been jailed a number of times, told AFP.

The United Nations human rights office said that any new government measures in Hong Kong must be grounded in law and protect the right to freedom of assembly.

People wearing face masks walk past debris earlier burnt by protesters in the street in the heart of Hong Kong on October 4

Lam decried the recent escalation of violence at a press conference (pictured) after clashes erupted across the city this week

Referring to the situation in the financial hub, UN human rights spokeswoman Marta Hurtado told a briefing in Geneva on Friday: 'Any restriction must have a basis in law and be proportionate and as least intrusive as possible.'

Police relax guidelines for using force Hong Kong police loosened guidelines on the use of force by officers in the run-up to demonstrations on October 1, according to documents seen by Reuters. The move would give officers greater power to deal with protesters in difficult situations. In the documents, the police manual changed some guidelines on how officers could act when considering force. It also removed a line that stated officers should be accountable for their actions. Advertisement

She added: 'Freedom of peaceful assembly is a fundamental right and should be enjoyed without restriction to the greatest extent possible.'

The ban follows widespread violence in the city which marred China's National Day and included a police officer shooting a protester, the first victim of gunfire since the protests started in June.

Tsang Chi-kin, 18, was shot at close range as he fought an officer with a pole on Tuesday in Tsuen Wan on one of the most violent days of the ongoing protests.

Police defended the officer's decision, calling it 'reasonable and lawful'. A spokesperson said the officer was facing 'imminent danger' at the time.

Tsang has undergone surgery. According to his lawyer, he is in a hospital intensive care unit in a stable condition.

He has been charged with attacking police and rioting. The latter carries a maximum 10-year sentence.

It has been revealed that the city's police loosened guidelines on the use of force by officers in the run-up to demonstrations on October 1.

The teenage protester was throwing bricks and 'rioting' at the time he was wounded, a prosecutor told a court packed with his supporters on Friday.

The prosecutor said Tsang was more violent than others who have attended recent rallies.

A judge set bail at HK$5,000 ($640) and banned Tsang from leaving the country.

After the hearing, hundreds of supporters - some crying - clapped and chanted 'thank you' to the lawyer who represented him.

They also opened umbrellas to form a tunnel outside the court to shield the identity of other arrested protesters who appeared in court.

Cecilia Ng, 53, said young people had sacrificed themselves to stop government wrongdoing.

Social media footage captures the moment Tsang (left) was shot by a policeman during a fight in Tsuen Wan on Tuesday

The teen was shot in the chest by a police officer whose unit had been attacked by demonstrators, said a police spokesperson

'Yes, they destroy things. But it was completely not necessary to shoot them,' she said.

'The point is that the government taught us that peaceful protest can never work. Now, the government pushes another evil law. Our city is on edge. Our teenagers are also on edge.'

Many of those gathered in the court and outside were wearing masks, in defiance of the mask ban. The ban was announced a short while later.

Tsang's case was been adjourned until November 14.