A spokesperson for China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government expressed extreme indignation at the repeated attacks by masked rioters who went on a rampage again across Hong Kong on Sunday.
In escalating violence in various districts, mobsters willfully targeted and assaulted police officers, posing great threats to the safety of the public and seriously undermining social peace, the HKSAR spokesperson said in a statement released late at night.
Unauthorized demonstrations and gatherings began to rage multiple locations across Hong Kong on Sunday afternoon and soon escalated into violent acts after groups of masked rioters went on the rampage again.
Rioters hurled bricks and other hard objects at police officers. In Sha Tin, thugs threw petrol bombs from height targeting a police vehicle and set it ablaze. A total of 20 petrol bombs were thrown inside the Mong Kok police station alone.
Mobs also beat up residents of different views, blocked major roads, and vandalized shops, ATM machines and public facilities, including traffic lights, MTR stations, government buildings, and offices of district councillors.
At Wong Tai Sin, rioters desecrated and set a national flag on fire in a blatant insult to the national sovereignty and offence of an ordinance concerning national flag and emblem.
The HKSAR government strongly condemned such "horrific" acts, the spokesperson said, vowing the police will do all they can to bring those responsible to justice.
The spokesperson conveyed sympathy to the injured police officers while appealing to the public not to be misled by false accusations spread online by people with ulterior motives.
"The HKSAR government will stop violence with the utmost resolution," the spokesperson said, calling on residents to draw a clear line from rioters to safeguard the core value of the rule of law in Hong Kong and join hands with the government to restore social order.
Organizations like the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong also strongly condemned the extreme violence, calling such acts "frenzied and lawless."
"The rioters are engaging in indiscriminate rioting and terror attacks, regardless of the entire interests of the Hong Kong society," the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions said in a statement.
Regina Ip, a member of the HKSAR Legislative Council, expressed her strongest condemnation of the violent acts.
The MTR Corp, the operator of Hong Kong's train network, had to suspend train services of all the light rail routes and dozens of MTR stations of various lines again as masked rioters vandalized various stations and hurled objects into the rail track in escalating violence.
