A number of arrests have been made after masked rioters set fire on public properties, and repeatedly threw petrol bombs towards police officers in Hong Kong Island on Saturday.
Illegal protesters started to gather at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, since 2:00 p.m. and then moved onto roads as the crowd kept growing. Most of them were black-clad and wore face masks.
The gathering was objected by the police earlier. The police said people on the scene were committing the offense of "participating in an unauthorized assembly" and a number of them were violating the face mask ban.
Police warned all protesters to leave immediately and stop occupying the road.
Over 50 bus routes were suspended and more than 100 routes were diverted.
Besides setting fire on barricades, shops and MTR stations at various locations, masked rioters, who used umbrellas as cover, also hurled bricks at police officers and police vehicles.
Some also vandalized shops, committed arson, and placed nails on the roads.
Having given repeated warnings to the rioters in vain, police officers have deployed tear gas and specialized crowd management vehicles to disperse them.
The police said a number of arrests have been made and arrest action will continue as appropriate.
