China brands Hong Kong protests ‘terrorism’ as police unveil water cannon trucks to combat pro-democracy activists after tear gas and rubber bullets failed to stop them

Hong Kong police have staged a water cannon demonstration as pro-democracy street protests stretched into their 10th week with no sign of either side backing down.

The demonstration of specially equipped armoured cars came after another weekend of protests at Hong Kong’s bustling international airport and on the streets of one of the city’s main shopping districts.

Also today, Beijing slammed violent protesters who had thrown petrol bombs at police officers and linked them to ‘terrorism’. 

Legislators and journalists were invited to witness the display of extreme crowd control tactics, which Amnesty International warned last week could lead to serious injuries if misused within Hong Kong’s confined spaces. 

Hong Kong police has also revealed a type of spraying liquid dye that could help them catch protesters who wear masks to conceal their identity.

Once sprayed onto a person at a demonstration site, the liquid dye could stay on their skin or clothing, which would make it easier for the police to identify relevant individuals if necessary, the police said.

Such liquid dye, said to be harmless and edible, could be added into water or tear gas solution, said a spokesperson recently.

About 5,000 protesters rallied at the Hong Kong airport today to denounce alleged police violence after another weekend of clashes between activists and police.

One female protester faces losing her right eye after being shot in the face with a bean bag round during a clash between police and demonstrators on Sunday. 

Hong Kong’s Airport Authority has cancelled all flights in and out of the city as a result. The cancellation period is due to extend until tomorrow morning local time.

The city’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific today warned its staff that they could be fired if they ‘support or participate in illegal protests’ as the airline comes under pressure from Beijing. 

Hong Kong is at a critical juncture after two months of anti-government street protests and violence there must stop, China’s Hong Kong and Macau affairs office said on Monday. 

Increasingly restive protests have plunged Hong Kong into its most serious political crisis in decades, posing a challenge to the central government in Beijing.

Yang Guang, a spokesman for the office in Beijing, delivered a televised address in which he backed police handling of the protests and said that those who care about the city should come out against violence. 

‘Hong Kong’s radical demonstrators have repeatedly used extremely dangerous tools to attack police officers, which already constitutes a serious violent crime, and also shows the first signs of terrorism emerging,’ said Yang Guang.

‘This wantonly tramples on Hong Kong’s rule of law and social order.’  

During the weekend protests, website Hong Kong Free Press showed footage of one arrest that appeared to include officers pinning a demonstrator to the ground. The young man, who said his name was Chow Ka-lok and asked for a lawyer, was shown with a bleeding head wound and said he had a broken tooth.

Police have also reported injuries among their ranks, including eye irritation from laser pointers and burns from a petrol bomb.

Protesters hurled bricks at officers and ignored warnings to leave before tear gas was deployed in the Sham Shui Po area, police said, calling a march there an ‘unauthorised assembly’.

Tear gas was also deployed in central Hong Kong on both sides of Victoria Harbour, in the Tsim Sha Tsui area on the Kowloon side and in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. At one point, protesters blocked the entrance to a plaza to prevent police from entering.

A train station in Kwai Fong filled with smoke after about a dozen police officers fired tear gas inside. It was not clear how many protesters were inside the station at the time, but it has been rare for officers to fire tear gas indoors.

Earlier, a large group of mostly young protesters marched down the middle of Hennessey Road, a main shopping street in the Causeway Bay area, as a rally was held in nearby Victoria Park. Many wore face masks to shield their identities, and a few had helmets. Others just carried backpacks over the black T-shirts that have become their uniform.

The protest movement’s demands include the resignation of the Chinese territory’s leader, Carrie Lam, democratic elections for her successor, the release of those arrested in earlier protests and an investigation into police use of force.

A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 under the principle of ‘one country, two systems,’ which promises the city certain democratic rights not afforded to people on the mainland. But in recent years, some have accused the Communist Party-ruled central government of steadily chipping away at their freedoms.

Banners at the rally in Victoria Park read ‘Give Hong Kong back to us’ and ‘Withdraw the evil law,’ the latter a reference to an extradition bill that was the original spark for the protests. A large crowd sat under umbrellas, which are both a protest symbol in Hong Kong and protection from the summer heat.

At the airport, a flight attendant protesting on his day off, who gave only his surname, Lau, said heavy-handed police tactics had alienated some among the public.

‘The police have told a lot of lies to Hong Kong people. We cannot believe them any more. We have to come here to protest,’ Lau said. China has reportedly threatened to bar air crew who take part in protests from its air space.

Another protester, who identified herself only as Bea, said she had taken the day off work to express her outrage.

‘I feel that I have to do something… It’s just too sad to see what has happened. The police action has gone totally nonsensical,’ she said.