Hong Kong police on Monday strongly condemned rioters who "took the law into their own hands" and overstepped the bottom line of any civilized society by beating up bystanders.
Rioters set fires, blocked roads and vandalized banks, metro stations and shops in various districts of Hong Kong after unlawful assemblies turned violent again on Sunday afternoon.
The police noted in a statement that in Wan Chai, a protester suspectedly drove away a drilling vehicle from a construction site without authority and attempted to drill carriageways.
Rioters also hurled petrol bombs at police officers, with one petrol bomb hitting a reporter at the scene. Local radio RTHK later confirmed that the victim was one of its journalists, and he was sent to hospital for treatment.
The statement said in response to the rapidly deteriorating situation, the police "conducted dispersal operation with appropriate force, including tear gases, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds."
Condemning the rioters for "taking the law into their own hands," the police said one taxi driver was pulled out from his vehicle after a traffic accident in Sham Shui Po and severely battered by rioters to unconsciousness.
Another large group of rioters later attacked a man and left him unconscious in Mong Kok, where a woman was also beaten up suspectedly due to taking photos of rioters' vandalism acts, the police said.
Noting that the violent acts are spreading and escalating drastically, and Hong Kong is being pushed to the verge of a very dangerous situation, the police pledged to continue with resolute enforcement action and bring all lawbreakers to justice.
