Occupy Central protestors and journalists alike have reported bloody injuries following attacks from pro-Beijing demonstrators yesterday after they stormed major Occupy Central sites.
This man was attacked by pro-Beijing demonstrators and sustained bloody injuries on his head, he said in an interview withHong Kong’s Now TV station,
The identity of these pro-Beijing demonstrators is still unverified, but Occupy leaders have accused the government of staging the attacks and are threatening to call off talks.
RTHK video-journalist Mak Ka-Wai was also injured on his face while he was filming the events going on in Mong Kok.
Other protestors in the Mong Kok camp remain undeterred by the threat of violence and have prepared themselves for further clashes today.
The Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Hong Kong (FCCHK) and the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) have released statements condemning the attacks on the press in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, according to Coconuts HK.
Video footage of the brawls from yesterday on Apple Daily:
UPDATE:
Things have turned inflammatory as the ire of Occupy Central protestors was stoked by the presence of the pro-Beijing camp.
In response to allegations of triad involvement in the attacks, the Secretary for Security Lai Tung-Kwok issued the following statement:
“The police officers at the scene tried their best to handle the situation under chaotic conditions and to maintain order in an impartial way.
I note that some people have claimed that the Government allowed triads or even worked with triads. These allegations are totally untrue, unfounded and beyond belief.
They are also highly unreasonable and extremely unfair to the police officers who faithfully carried out their duty.”
Images and footage from Twitter, Apple Daily, RTHK, Now TV
