Hong Kong Protesters Defy Police with Unauthorized March

Hong Kong protesters flooded the city’s streets, Sunday, October 20, in defiance of a ban by the authorities on their march, setting up roadblocks and tossing firebombs amid the firing of tear gas by police.

Police had beefed up security measures for the unauthorized rally, the latest in the unrest that has disrupted life in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory since early June.

—— READ MORE: Blue liquid was dispersed by a cannon in an attempt to move thousands of protesters away from a main road in Kowloon. At Tsim Sha Tsui police station, protesters threw firebombs at riot police officers, who fired tear smoke from above.

Nearby, protesters broke their way into buildings, including a bank, setting a number of fires. Supporters of the movement gathered at the rally’s starting point on a waterfront promenade.

Many wore masks in defiance of a recently introduced ban on face coverings at public gatherings, and volunteers handed more out to the crowd. Organizers said they wanted to use their right to protest, as guaranteed by the city’s constitution despite the risk of arrest.