Hong Kong protests: Eerie calm descends as demonstrators avoid clashes with police

Once-respected law enforcement teams ‘have used obvious excessive force and inhumane actions’, say activists

The latest night of demonstrations in Hong Kong appeared to come to an early end as protesters melted into crowds of weekend shoppers and tourists after verbally sparring with police for over an hour.

Protesters had gathered at 6pm on Saturday outside of Mong Kok police station, the site of frequent clashes in recent weeks, where they jeered at armed officers from behind a heavy line of journalists before dispersing into the night.

While the recent trend has been for protesters to reappear elsewhere in the city after brief standoffs with police, an eerie calm subsequently set in on Saturday evening.

It was the first time in weeks that mass weekend demonstrations did not break out into violent clashes with teargas fired by riot police. The protest movement began in early June against a legislative bill that would have allowed for residents to be extradited to mainland China.

Police did not appear to make any arrests as they marched through Mong Kok shopping district, where they were heckled by bystanders who told them to “go to hell” and accused them of being in league with the local mafia.

Some threw bags of ice and a bin at police vehicles in the latest sign the public have turned against Hong Kong police, once one of the most respected forces in Asia.

Officers have been accused of using excessive force by groups including local watchdog the Civil Rights Observer and the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Police have fired teargas into a subway station and nonlethal weapons at protesters from close range.

Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam has also faced criticism for failing to rein in police and blaming violence squarely on protesters.

“I am protesting because I just cannot tolerate what the police has done. It’s not right,” said Franco Fung during a march through the district of Kowloon earlier on Saturday.

“There have been multiple instances in which police have used obvious excessive force and inhumane actions to force us protesters away and justice is not given. The government is not willing to give us an individual investigation committee.”

Another demonstrator, Paul Siew, accused Hong Kong of becoming a “police state,” a refrain which has been repeated by democracy activists like Joshua Wong.

“I think the government is the police and the police is the government. Hong Kong is a police state,” Mr Siew said.

He added he remained angry the government had failed to meet any of protesters’ demands, including the permanent withdrawal of the extradition bill and Ms Lam’s resignation.

Saturday night’s protesters may have returned home early in anticipation of a mass rally on Sunday.

While many demonstrations have been arranged by word of mouth over Telegram and other social media apps, Sunday’s rally has been called by Civil Human Rights Front, a democracy coalition that has organised several record-shattering protesters in Hong Kong over the summer.

The protest is the first major event the group has called since 1 July, the anniversary of Hong Kong’s reunification with China. That march ended in radical protesters storming the city’s legislature after a peaceful demonstration attended by tens of thousands of people.

The weekend’s protests followed massive demonstrations at Hong Kong International Airport this week, which led to flights being cancelled for two consecutive days after protesters blocked check-in areas and departure lounges.

Demonstrators faced criticism, however, after they accosted an undercover police officer at the airport and a reporter with a Chinese state news outlet. Some of those who took part in the protest later apologised online and to airport passengers in person.