Hong Kong recorded its second death caused by the new coronavirus on Wednesday, a Princess Margaret Hospital spokeswoman told Reuters.



The 70-year-old man, who had underlying illnesses, was one of the 62 confirmed cases in the Chinese-ruled city.

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Hong Kong records second coronavirus death -hospital spokeswoman

Medical workers in Hong Kong are staging a second consecutive day of strikes Tuesday as the Chinese territory reports its first death from a coronavirus that has killed 425 people in mainland China, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/hong-kong-medical-workers-strike-second-straight-day-territory">reports</a>. 



Hong Kong shut down nearly all land and sea border crossings with the mainland at midnight local time after more than 2,000 medical workers walked off the job Monday demanding that all border crossings be closed completely.&nbsp; Hong Kong was hit hard by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-03.



Hong Kong health authorities have identified the victim as a 39-year-old male with a pre-existing illness who had recently visited Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. &nbsp;



Meanwhile, the Chinese gambling territory of Macau announced Tuesday that it will temporarily shut down all casino operations for two weeks to help curb the spread of the virus. &nbsp;



The total number of confirmed cases of people sickened by the new coronavirus in China has soared above 20,000. There are about 150 confirmed cases in 23 other countries. On Sunday, the Philippines reported the first coronavirus death outside of China.



A new study published Monday in the journal Nature said experts from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which specializes in the study of viruses, say the new virus is 96% genetically identical to a virus found in bats in southern China&#8217;s Yunnan province.



The study said the new coronavirus is 80% genetically similar to the SARS virus that killed more than 800 people in 2002 and 2003.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced/s3/ap-images/2020/02/729bbe53845e7484fa02d308e543d6cf.jpg?itok=7jUQNE0e"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_737px_wide/s3/ap-images/2020/02/729bbe53845e7484fa02d308e543d6cf.jpg?itok=v42uz2hy" alt="Passengers on the tram wear face masks in hopes to prevent contracting the spreading coronavirus in Hong Kong, Monday, Feb, 3,…" /></a><figcaption>Passengers on the tram wear face masks in hopes to prevent contracting the spreading coronavirus in Hong Kong, Feb, 3, 2020.</figcaption></figure>



Chinese official do not know exactly how the virus could have been transmitted from animals to people, but believe open-air markets in China, where wild and domesticated animals are sold, may be a contributor.



The World Health Organization said it expects the number of cases to grow as test results are returned on thousands of pending cases.



Chinese authorities have tried to stop the spread by instituting bans on movement in certain regions, and extending holidays to keep people away from schools and other large gatherings.



But China is upset that a number of countries are restricting travelers from China from crossing their borders.



Government spokeswoman Hua Chunying accused the United States of spreading fear and not offering any substantial assistance in response to the outbreak.



She said Washington has “unceasingly manufactured and spread panic,&#8221; noting that the WHO has advised against travel restrictions.



President Donald Trump has offered to send experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to China, but Beijing has yet to accept the offer of help.



The United States began mandatory 14-day quarantines Sunday for U.S. citizens who had been in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital. But non-U.S. citizens who have been in China over the past two weeks are barred. &nbsp;



Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said Monday the United States is already prepared to provide housing for up to 1,000 people who may need to be quarantined. He also said the United States is “always planning for eventualities and how we may be asked by civilian partners to assist.”

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Hong Kong Medical Workers on Strike for Second Straight Day as Territory Confirms First Coronavirus Death

Hong Kong police fired tear gas and arrested a number of people on Sunday as they tried to disperse protesters calling for electoral reforms and a boycott of the Chinese Communist Party, Euronews <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/20/another-weekend-of-unrest-as-violent-scuffles-break-out-in-hong-kong">reports</a>. 



Thousands of demonstrators had packed into Chater Garden, not far from the Chinese territory&#8217;s Legislative Council building for the march.



But while the protest began peacefully, it increasingly descended into violence after demonstrators flowed out of the garden and moved into nearby streets, where they were joined by others.



Protesters used bricks, umbrellas and traffic barriers to barricade a road.



They then ran for cover after riot police appeared and raised yellow warning flags, telling demonstrators that they should disperse because they were participating in an illegal assembly.



Speaking to Euronews&#8217; Good Morning Europe, pro-democracy activist Wilson Leung, said the unrest occurred in part because of heavy-handed police tactics.



&#8220;The problem is the police created a very intense situation in the first place,&#8221; he said.



&#8220;It was very peaceful inside the venue but then suddenly the police grabbed the mic and announced that the rally had to end. This caused quite a lot of unhappiness amongst the protesters,&#8221; he said.

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Another weekend of unrest as violent scuffles break out in Hong Kong

Police fired tear gas on Sunday to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters who gathered in a central Hong Kong park, but later spilled onto the streets in violation of police orders, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/police-fire-tear-gas-disperse-thousands-central-hong-kong">reports</a>. 



Out in numbers before the demonstration began, police intervened promptly when the rally turned into an impromptu march. Several units of police in riot gear were seen chasing protesters and several arrests were made.



A water cannon truck drove on central streets, flanked by an armored jeep, but was not used.



Organizers initially applied for a permit for a march, but police only agreed to a static rally in the park, saying previous marches have turned violent.



Once protesters spilled onto the streets, some of them, wearing all-black clothing, barricaded the roads with umbrellas and street furniture, dug up bricks from the pavement and smashed traffic lights.



The &#8220;Universal Siege Against Communism&#8221; demonstration was the latest in a relentless series of protests against the government since June, when Hong Kongers took to the streets to voice their anger over a now-withdrawn extradition bill.



The protests, which have since broadened to include demands for universal suffrage and an independent investigation into police handling of the demonstrations, had lost some of their intensity in recent weeks.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced/s3/2020-01/AP_20019348551678.jpg?itok=54fqDrpP"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_737px_wide/s3/2020-01/AP_20019348551678.jpg?itok=tpNpI0Ev" alt="A man walks past as police use tear gas on protesters calling for electoral reforms and a boycott of the Chinese Communist…" /></a><figcaption>A man walks past as police use tear gas on protesters calling for electoral reforms and a boycott of the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong, Jan. 19, 2020.</figcaption></figure>



In an apparent new tactic, police have been showing up ahead of time in riot gear, with officers conducting &#8220;stop and search&#8221; operations near expected demonstrations.



&#8220;Everyone understands that there’s a risk of stop-and-search or mass arrests. I appreciate Hong Kong people still come out courageously, despite the risk,” said organizer Ventus Lau.



On Jan 1, a march of tens of thousands of people ended with police firing tear gas to disperse crowds.



The gathering in the park was initially relaxed, with many families with children listening to speeches by activists.



In one corner, a group of volunteers set up a stand where people could leave messages on red cards for the lunar new year to be sent to those who have been arrested. One read: “Hong Kongers won’t give up. The future belongs to the youth”.



Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested more than 7,000 people, many on charges of rioting that can carry jail terms of up to 10 years. It is unclear how many are still in custody.



Anger has grown over the months due to perceptions that Beijing was tightening its grip over the city, which was handed over to China by Britain in 1997 in a deal that ensured it enjoyed liberties unavailable in the mainland.



Beijing denies meddling and blames the West for fomenting unrest.

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Police Fire Tear Gas to Disperse Thousands in Central Hong Kong

Taiwanese voters will pick a president Saturday, setting the course for how to handle political and military rival China amid fears that Taiwan could be taken by the Communist government or become another protest-wracked Hong Kong, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/fears-becoming-new-hong-kong-steer-taiwan-presidential-election">reports</a>. 



The electorate of some 18 million people will decide whether to let incumbent Tsai Ing-wen serve another four-year term. She takes a guarded stance toward China at the risk of further angering the Communist leadership, which has already sent naval ships and military aircraft near the island as warnings since 2016.



Many analysts believe Tsai will beat her closest rival Han Kuo-yu, the mayor of Taiwan&#8217;s major port city and an advocate of dialogue with China on Beijing&#8217;s terms.



Tsai is riding the tailwinds of particularly strong U.S. relations, which Taiwanese see as a sign of strength in case they need help repelling China, and perceptions that she can best stop Taiwan from becoming another Hong Kong, experts say.



Hong Kong&#8217;s protesters, some violent, want China to relinquish their territory from its &#8220;one country, two systems&#8221; rule that means Beijing is in charge but with a degree of local autonomy. Militarily stronger China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and insists on ruling it someday as it now governs Hong Kong. Taiwan and China have been separately ruled since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s.



&#8220;In this election, all possible factors that should help Tsai Ing-wen have taken shape, including the China factor, the U.S. factor and the Hong Kong protest factor, and also including the factor of comparisons made to the other presidential candidates,&#8221; said You Ying-lung, chairman of the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation survey research organization.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced/s3/2020-01/AP_20001392794442.jpg?itok=svP1nN2R"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_737px_wide/s3/2020-01/AP_20001392794442.jpg?itok=ECi_kIp8" alt="Protesters set up barricades with debris and umbrellas in Hong Kong, Jan. 1, 2020. " /></a><figcaption>Protesters set up barricades with debris and umbrellas in Hong Kong, Jan. 1, 2020.</figcaption></figure>



China&#8217;s influence



Tsai&#8217;s approval ratings rose from the 20s in late 2018 through last month, when the foundation released a poll giving her a 49.3% &#8220;favorable&#8221; rating.



The 63-year-old law scholar with the Democratic Progressive Party spoke out multiple times in 2019 against China&#8217;s idea for &#8220;one country, two systems&#8221; rule over Taiwan and openly sided with Hong Kong&#8217;s protesters. Her tone felt &#8220;strong&#8221;, said Shelley Rigger, a National Taiwan University, social sciences college visiting researcher.



&#8220;She didn&#8217;t say anything new but she said old stuff in a way like she was defending Taiwan, telling the truth,&#8221; Rigger said.



Voters say they&#8217;re taking her China policy seriously. &#8220;The issue matters because it would directly impact the way we live,&#8221; said Taipei voter Dong Yu-hsin, 23, a social service industry worker. &#8220;We have such a free and open society, and on the other hand the government in China places a lot of restrictions on its people.



&#8220;If you look at the three candidates, then Tsai Ing-wen&#8217;s point of view is the one I agree with most,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I hope Tsai Ing-wen can keep her perspective on autonomy and uphold today&#8217;s status quo.&#8221;



Some voters think the election comes down to whether Taiwan remains democratic, said Huang Kwei-bo, vice dean of the international affairs college at National Chengchi University in Taipei.



&#8220;I feel at least an obvious number of people are going to vote this time because they have a fear their country will perish,&#8221; Huang said. &#8220;And, in addition, there are those who fear there&#8217;s not more going to be more democracy.&#8221;



Since Tsai took office, she has angered China by rejecting its condition that both sides hold talks as parts of a single China. The December 24 poll found that about 73% of Taiwanese advocate keeping at least today&#8217;s distance from China, including more formal independence.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><a href="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced/s3/reuters-pictures/2019/12/RTS2VR4E.jpg?itok=-PT8lQDR"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_737px_wide/s3/reuters-pictures/2019/12/RTS2VR4E.jpg?itok=DKO1pbG9" alt="Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen attends a campaign rally ahead of the presidential election in Taipei, Taiwan December 21, 2019…" /></a><figcaption>Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen attends a campaign rally ahead of the presidential election in Taipei, Taiwan December 21, 2019.</figcaption></figure>



Taiwan&#8217;s government, officially called the Republic of China, still claims China under its constitution, just as the Communists claim Taiwan under theirs.



Talks with Beijing



Tsai&#8217;s election rival Han advocates a return to 2008-2016 when his Nationalist Party&#8217;s president Ma Ying-jeou was in office.



Ma agreed to China&#8217;s condition for talks, allowing the two sides to sign more than 20 deals on trade, transit and investment. The two sides shelved political differences then to build trust. But by 2014 Taiwanese had worried so much about growing too close to China that they held weeks of street protests in Taipei.



Han, a populist who won the mayoral seat just 14 months ago, can handle China without political risk, said Jason Hsu, a Nationalist lawmaker and member of Han&#8217;s policy advisory team.



&#8220;What we are trying to convey is the message that we can manage the relationship with China better than the DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) and at the same time not compromise democracy and our sovereignty,&#8221; Hsu said. Tsai&#8217;s approach of &#8220;alienating&#8221; China will eventually &#8220;backfire,&#8221; he said.



Voters will also elect a new parliament Saturday. The ruling party now has 68 seats and many party members are running tough re-election campaigns. Parliament has the authority to ratify any deals with China and pass laws affecting interaction between people from the two sides.

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Fears of Becoming a New Hong Kong Steer Taiwan Presidential Election

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Tuesday that the city faces multiple challenges in the new year, including violence, economic tribulation and a health scare  as anti-government protests enter their eighth month, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/hong-kong-leader-says-new-year-will-be-challenging-one">reports</a>. 



But the government is determined to overcome these challenges, Lam said.



Her administration&#8217;s reluctance to concretely address political demands has angered demonstrators, who have called for electoral reforms and an independent investigation into accusations of police brutality.



When asked again about such an inquiry at a news conference Tuesday, Lam said, &#8220;We do not need to go down this road.&#8221;



The mass protests began in June to oppose proposed extradition legislation that would have allowed Hong Kong residents to be sent to stand trial in mainland China, where activists are routinely jailed. While Lam has since withdrawn the bill, demonstrations have continued around broader democratic demands, fueled by a distrust of the Communist Party-ruled central government in Beijing.



A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 under the framework of &#8220;one country, two systems,&#8221; which promises the territory certain rights not afforded to the mainland.



At Tuesday&#8217;s news conference, Lam also sought to quell fears around a respiratory illness that may have infected some Hong Kong residents who recently traveled to the central mainland city of Wuhan, where 59 patients are being treated for a form of pneumonia whose cause has not been determined.



Lam declined to comment on the new head of China&#8217;s liaison office in Hong Kong, Luo Huining, who was appointed over the weekend.

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Hong Kong Leader Says New Year will be a Challenging One

China replaced its top official in Hong Kong on Saturday, state media said, as anti-government protests in the semi-autonomous territory enter their eighth month, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/china-replaces-its-top-official-protest-riven-hong-kong">reports</a>. 



Luo Huining, the former Communist Party chief for Shanxi province, has been appointed to head China’s liaison office in Hong Kong, the official Xinhua News Agency said.



He replaces Wang Zhimin, who had assumed office in September 2017. Xinhua did not give a reason for the change.



The protests, which began in early June, have turned violent at times, with hard-line demonstrators clashing with police. The violence has eased somewhat in the past month, but sporadic clashes have continued.



A huge and largely peaceful march on New Year’s Day degenerated into violence as some protesters attacked ATM machines with spray paint and hammers, smashed traffic lights and blocked downtown streets with paving stones ripped from sidewalks.



Police used pepper spray, tear gas and a water cannon to drive off the demonstrators, although a government statement said officers were “deploying the minimum necessary force.”



The protesters are demanding fully democratic elections for Hong Kong’s leader and legislature and an investigation into police use of force to suppress their demonstrations.



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/hong-kong-steps-response-mystery-disease-china" target="_blank"></a>

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China Replaces its Top Official in Protest-riven Hong Kong

Hong Kong authorities activated a newly created “serious response” level Saturday as fears spread about a mysterious infectious disease that may have been brought back by visitors to a mainland Chinese city, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/hong-kong-steps-response-mystery-disease-china">reports</a>. 



Five possible cases have been reported of a viral pneumonia that has also infected at least 44 people in Wuhan, an inland city west of Shanghai and about 900 kilometers (570 miles) north of Hong Kong.



The outbreak, which emerged last month, has revived memories of the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic that started in southern China and killed more than 700 people in the mainland, Hong Kong and elsewhere.



Serious response level



The serious response level indicates a moderate impact on Hong Kong’s population of 7.5 million people. It is the second highest in a three-tier system that is part of a new government plan launched Saturday to respond to infectious diseases of unknown cause.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_737px_wide/s3/ap-images/2020/01/1a284a1dd4a3d5bbf7907947d758d6ae.jpg?itok=8hd4LATN" alt="A health surveillance officer with temperature scanner waits for passengers at the Hong Kong International airport in Hong Kong…" /><figcaption>A health surveillance officer with temperature scanner waits for passengers at the Hong Kong International Airport, Jan. 4, 2020. Hong Kong authorities activated a new response protocol Saturday as fears spread about a mysterious infectious disease.</figcaption></figure>



The city’s health department added an additional thermal imaging system at Hong Kong’s airport Friday to check the body temperature of arriving passengers. More staff have been assigned for temperature checks at the West Kowloon high-speed rail station that connects Hong Kong to the mainland.



City leader Carrie Lam, on a visit to the train station Friday to review the health surveillance measures, urged any travelers who develop respiratory symptoms to wear surgical masks, seek medical attention and let doctors know where they have been. The Wuhan health commission said 11 of the 44 people diagnosed with the pneumonia were in critical condition as of Friday. All were being treated in isolation and 121 others who had been in close contact with them were under observation.&nbsp;



Seafood market



Most of the cases have been traced to the South China Seafood City food market in the suburbs of sprawling Wuhan, where offerings reportedly include wild animals that can carry viruses dangerous to humans. The commission said the market has been disinfected.



The most common symptom has been fever, with shortness of breath and lung infections in a small number of cases, the commission said. There have been no clear indications of human-to-human transmission of the disease.



The latest cases in Hong Kong are two women, ages 12 and 41, who had been to Wuhan in the past 14 days but did not appear to have visited the food market, the Hospital Authority said. They were in stable condition and being treated in isolation at Princess Margaret Hospital.&nbsp;



Besides SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, Hong Kong has also been hit by bird flu in 1997 and swine flu in 2009.&nbsp;

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Hong Kong Steps up Response to Mystery Disease from China

Further violence took place in Hong Kong on Saturday as anti-government protesters clashed with police in civilian clothes.&nbsp;



Around 100 protesters stormed into a shopping mall in Sheung Shui, close to the border with mainland China, and chanted &#8216;liberate Hong Kong&#8217; and &#8216;return to the mainland&#8217;.&nbsp;



They were targeting Chinese traders in a bid to disrupt the Christmas shopping trade.&nbsp;



Police tackled the protesters using pepper spray and batons. Shoppers were seen to argue with police who had also blocked walkways in the mall.&nbsp;



Anti-government protests in Hong Kong first began in June over a proposed extradition law, which has since been withdrawn. The protesters are now demanding for more democracy and the resignation of Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong. Protesters claim that Beijing and Lam’s government are destroying Hong Kong’s autonomy and Western-style civil liberties.&nbsp;



According to the police, 336 people, some as young as 12, have been arrested already this week and the total number of people arrested since the start of the unrest is now at 7,000.

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Anti-government protesters in Hong Kong clash with police

Christmas festivities turned tense in Hong Kong late Wednesday when police fired tear gas and used pepper spray on anti-government protesters and made arrests amid a second day of hostile confrontations, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/clashes-mar-christmas-celebrations-hong-kong">reports</a>. 



The latest clash came as the semi-autonomous city’s Beijing-appointed leader, Carrie Lam, condemned what she called “reckless and selfish rioters” for ruining the celebrations. The Hong Kong CEO said the government would “make sure those who break the law suffer the consequences.”



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><a href="https://www.voanews.com/s3/files/styles/sourced/s3/ap-images/2019/12/768e29be6ca5ec6f3fcd902ae5733ce5.jpg?itok=ddJFW4wx"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_410px_wide/s3/ap-images/2019/12/768e29be6ca5ec6f3fcd902ae5733ce5.jpg?itok=DdcEDLGk" alt="Plain clothed police officers arrest protesters in a mall during Christmas Eve in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2019. Thousands…" width="577" height="411" /></a><figcaption>Plain clothed police officers arrest protesters in a mall during Christmas Eve in Hong Kong, Dec. 24, 2019.</figcaption></figure>



The clashes occurred as activists held flash mob protests in malls and shopping districts across Hong Kong on Christmas Day. Police also stopped and searched many young people dressed in black —&nbsp;the signature dress code of activists who have been involved in the anti-government movement since it started in June.



In Mongkok, a bustling downtown shopping district, riot police armed with shields exchanged insults with protesters, shoppers and passersby before firing multiple rounds of tear gas at them and making arrests. Officers were heard calling protesters “trash.” It was not clear if police were provoked.



Scores of people had gathered on the streets in the area, some waving U.S. and Hong Kong independence flags.



One man was pepper-sprayed after arguing with police. He was wrestled to the ground and arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer, reported public broadcaster RTHK. Police used pepper spray again later as a crowd of onlookers heckled officers, it said.



An outdoor food stall was engulfed in the noxious gas as staff threw away fish balls, tofu and snacks that had been contaminated.



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><a href="https://www.voanews.com/s3/files/styles/sourced/s3/ap-images/2019/12/c1ecb4141cd434737b4dd4cb30595451.jpg?itok=zYhZ3C0K"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_410px_wide/s3/ap-images/2019/12/c1ecb4141cd434737b4dd4cb30595451.jpg?itok=VgFccUXe" alt="Debris burns on a street during a rally in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019. More than six months of protests have beset the…" width="576" height="384" /></a><figcaption>Debris burns on a street during a rally in Hong Kong, Dec. 25, 2019.</figcaption></figure>



Hundreds of riot police officers and police vehicles remained in the area as of late evening, as protesters continued to shout slogans to condemn the police. Journalists and passersby were stopped and searched.



There were also arrests and tense confrontations between police and protesters in upmarket shopping malls in the out-of-town Shatin and Kowloon Bay districts, after activists marched, some singing the protest’s unofficial anthem, “Glory to Hong Kong.” Many shops closed early.



Police were hostile to journalists, shoving some with shields and shooing them away. A number of journalists became drenched in pepper spray when police shot the irritant at them, reported RTHK.



Large numbers of riot police were standing guard in Tsim Sha Tsui, an area with luxury hotels and shops popular with tourists, stopping and searching mostly young people. On Christmas Eve, police shot multiple rounds of tear gas in the area, engulfing the tourist spot adorned with decorations.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Drupal/01live-166/styles/sourced_737px_wide/s3/ap-images/2019/12/2bd3b0b2aeecae365e6e20f9bff84700.jpg?itok=mcXSEU-P" alt="Residents dressed for Christmas festivities react to tear gas as police confront protesters on Christmas Eve in Hong Kong on…" /><figcaption>Residents dressed for Christmas festivities react to tear gas as police confront protesters on Christmas Eve in Hong Kong, Dec. 24, 2019.</figcaption></figure>



At an upscale shopping mall, Times Square in Causeway Bay, some protesters dressed as snowmen, reindeer and Santa Claus, amusing passersby.



Large crowds had gathered in shopping malls since Christmas Eve in response to online calls to “go shopping” to voice their discontent with the government and to demand greater democracy. &nbsp; &nbsp;



Wednesday&#8217;s scenes of chaos were already less intense than those on Christmas Eve, when tear gas and rubber bullets were fired in several locations and police severely beat activists in confrontations. Protesters blocked roads, vandalized businesses seen as pro-government and threw sporadic fuel bombs.



The anti-government movement in Hong Kong, sparked by a controversial extradition law, shows no signs of abating. Protesters say they will not give up unless the government meets their political demands, which include universal suffrage and an independent investigation into police brutality. &nbsp;&nbsp; The Christmas unrest broke out after a few weeks of relative calm in a city that has been roiled by the civil unrest that had seen more than 6,000 people arrested, some as young as 12. The brief period of calm came after violent clashes at two universities and after the pro-democracy camp last month won a landslide victory in local district elections, which yielded no direct political power.



Police said 105 people were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly taking part in an illegal assembly. They said the crowd, including teenagers as young as 13, shouted slogans, occupied pedestrian walkways and caused inconvenience to the public. &nbsp;



A protester who gave his surname as Chan said police were overreacting to what were meant to be peaceful Christmas protests and their actions intimidated members of the public and instigated conflicts.



“The presence of so many riot police officers is itself a provocative gesture. Nothing would have happened if they weren’t there, and now they’re putting all the blame on protesters,” he said.

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Clashes Mar Christmas Celebrations in Hong Kong

Hong Kong riot police fired tear gas at thousands of protesters, many wearing masks and reindeer horns, after scuffles in shopping malls and in a prime tourist district as anti-government rallies escalated into chaos on Christmas Eve, Euronews reports, Euronews <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2019/12/24/hong-kong-police-fire-tear-gas-disperse-christmas-eve-protesters-n1106861">reports</a>. 



Protesters inside the malls had thrown umbrellas and other objects at police who responded by beating some demonstrators with batons, with one pointing his gun at the crowd, but not firing.



Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who had occupied the main roads outside the malls and nearby luxury hotels, including the Peninsula.



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img src="https://static.euronews.com/articles/4386132/400x267_nbc-191224-hong-kong-protests-se-904p_3d65e9def04940170401fb9868521ded.jpg" alt="Hong Kong riot police detain a protester during a rally on Christmas Eve in Hong Kong. " width="567" height="378" /><figcaption>Hong Kong riot police detain a protester during a rally on Christmas Eve in Hong Kong.&nbsp;Lee Jin-man</figcaption></figure>



Many families with children had congregated in the same area to view the Christmas lights along the promenade in the Tsim Sha Tsui East tourist district of Kowloon with the spectacular backdrop of Hong Kong island on the opposite side of the harbor.



The protests, now in their seventh month, have lost some of the scale and intensity of earlier violent confrontations. A peaceful rally earlier this month still drew 800,000 people, according to organizers, showing strong support for the movement.



Scores of black clad, mask wearing protesters chanted slogans including &#8220;Revive Hong Kong, revolution of our time,&#8221; and &#8220;Hong Kong independence&#8221; as they roamed the malls.



&#8220;Lots of people are shopping so it&#8217;s a good opportunity to spread the message and tell people what we are fighting for,&#8221; said Ken, an 18-year-old student. &#8220;We fight for freedom, we fight for our future.&#8221;



At one mall in the teeming Mong Kok district, also on the Kowloon peninsula, police used pepper spray to disperse some protesters, according to Cable television.



Some protesters were planning to march in Tsim Sha Tsui and count down to Christmas, according to notices on social media.



The Civil Human Rights Front, which has organized some of the biggest marches involving more than a million people, has applied to stage another march on New Year&#8217;s Day.



Police have arrested more than 6,000 people since the protests escalated in June, including a large number during a protracted, violent siege at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in mid-November.



Many Hong Kong residents are angry at what they see as Beijing&#8217;s meddling in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.



China denies interfering and says it is committed to the &#8220;one country, two systems&#8221; formula put in place at that time and has blamed foreign forces for fomenting unrest.

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Police fire tear gas at Hong Kong demonstrators as violence breaks out in malls

Police fired tear gas against protesters in Hong Kong before meetings Monday between the territory&#8217;s leader and Communist Party officials in Beijing, ending a lull in what have become regular clashes between riot squads and demonstrators, VOA news <a href="https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/police-fire-tear-gas-hong-kong-protesters-ending-lull">reports</a>. 



Police said they fired the choking gas after unrest erupted Sunday night in the Mongkok district of Kowloon.



Protesters threw bricks at officers and tossed traffic cones at a police vehicle, police said. They also set fires, blocked roads and smashed traffic lights with hammers.



Video footage showed truncheon-wielding riot officers squirting pepper spray at a man in a group of journalists and ganging up to beat and manhandle him.



The violence and scattered confrontations in shopping malls earlier Sunday, where police also squirted pepper spray and made several arrests, ended what had been a lull of a couple of weeks in clashes between police and protesters.



The uptick in tension came as Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam was in Beijing on Monday to brief President Xi Jinping on the situation in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.



Hong Kong&#8217;s protest movement erupted in June against now-scrapped legislation that would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited for trial in Communist Party-controlled courts in mainland China.



It has snowballed into a full-blow challenge to the government and Communist leaders in Beijing, with an array of demands, including that Hong Kong&#8217;s leader and legislators all be fully elected.