New #Thred for Prince Edward
A team of riot police came out from Mong Kok police station to clear white flowers left on PE station by people.
As usual, riot police are stationed on a balcony atop the door of Mong Kok police station.
Immediately after riot police left, people outside PE station put up new flowers on the railings.
Crowd at the crossing outside PE station B1 exit is growing and getting louder. Some raised their phone torches.
One man was suddenly snatched by a number of other men in plain cloths into Mong Kok Police Station, prompting a team of riot police to come out and cover. Crowd outside is getting angry.
Blue flag raised at crowd in PE by officers in Mong Kok police station who declare this is an unlawful assembly and warn of using rubber bullets and bean bag rounds.
Traffic at Nathan Road/PE Road West is getting slow as protesters got on south bound lanes of Nathan Road.
North bound lanes of Nathan Road is also cut off.
Protesters are heading towards Mong Kok via Nathan Road
Merry Christmas barricade on Nathan Road
One was subdued and arrested on Nathan Road by Raptors who suddenly charged out from Lai Chi Kok Road.
One young woman was stopped and searched on Nathan Road. She was soon released. Riot police rather impatient and angry with citizens.
The long line of police vans on Nathan Road
A girl was arrested on Prince Edward Road West.
Riot police decided to push a crowd (80% reporters and 20% onlookers by estimate) on PE Road West towards Nathan Road as some asked them to remove the cordon and let people through. Reporters following were asked to stop as police didn’t want to walk with reporters.
The gun I spotted in Prince Edward
Layers of buses to the north of the Nathan/Argyle crossing and stream of police vans on the other side.
Blue flag was raised towards crowd on pavement of Nathan Road/Argyle Street. Riot police walked towards people asking them to leave, with a mix of order and rude language.
#NOW on Nathan/Argyle
“1 2 3 to watch the corner outside Citibank and 4 5 6 HSBC. Don’t let them get on the road. Move if you hear,” order from walkie talkie.
Two blue flags raised at the same time on Nathan/Argyle
One is stopped on Nathan Road outside HSBC. Police keep pushing people away from the crossing of Nathan/Argyle.
It’s not easy to keep eyes on fortune clear these days in Hong Kong.
After one riot police said “those people in vests are blocking the police’a way”, another came up with a baton and quickly pushed reporters backward.
The third one, who has been relatively polite, said If he could not discharge his duty, it was becuz reporters are obstructing.
After showing two blue flags on Argyle/Portland, Raptors made a sudden sprint down Portland St and subdued one person outside Langham Place. I was pushed by riot police while trying to film the arrestee, before media liaison officers came and ask me to back down.
#ALERT one water cannon and one armoured truck are driving south on Nathan Road
#NOWA Water cannon and armoured truck on Nathan/Dundas
it took the police three times to move the water cannon out of Dundas Street without hitting its mirrors on the traffic lights....onlookers shouted “Did you get your driving license from Taobao?”
Police inside the second armoured truck sounded rather irritated. He asked onlookers on pavement to leave. One angry man shouted back “I leave you **** it’s New Year’s Eve! Do you know what celebrations mean?”
Blue flag raised on Nathan Road at crowd around Soy Street.
First of the serval firings is water cannon on Nathan Road
Water cannon u turned on Nathan and fired again.
Another round water cannon firing on Nathan Road
Police on armoured truck pointing gun at some men heckling
20 mins to new year. Water cannon and armoured trucks left from Waterloo Road, for now.
Riot police sprinted on Nathan Road and dispersed a crowd. One man was arrested in a back lane inside Hamilton Street. When reporters followed and wanted to film the arrestees, police pushed us out forcibly and quickly.
Reporters forced out of Hamilton Street were arguing with police. One reporter said 你老味 (sth like you motherfucker) as the police wouldn’t listen and responded with strong torches. One police said “You rogue reporters blocked our way”.
Countdown “10,9,光，復，香，港，時，代，革，命” and self-prepared firework on Nathan Road - in police face.
First thing of 2020 on Nathan Road
Second thing of 2020 on Nathan - a Molotov
First dose of tear gas of 2020 was fired on Nathan Road.
New year’s greetings “leave immediately” and “go back to pavement”
Two more shots into Dundas Street
Police chief Chris Tang in Mong Kok
Police chief Chris Tang left after a brief stop on Nathan Road. Some onlookers called him “king of cockroaches” and asked him to “go back on pavement”. Riot police continued to ask reporters to go back on pedestrian but were more polite in general.
Crowd on Sai Yeung Choi St South / Soy Street in Mong Kok is still defiant. Police warning of using tear gas and raising orange flag of firing.
Police warning of using tear gas and an umbrella squat across Soy Street.
Volleys of tear gas on Soy Street
A few more shots of tear gas as the umbrella squat is still in shape in two blocks down Sou Street. A BMW with carplate “PAID” got smoking pellets underneath.
Protesters behind umbrellas on Soy Street are retreating while throwing brick onto the road.
Yoghurt shop playing Disco music and protest are still up in Mong Kok
Another round of tear gas on Soy Street after water cannon and armoured trucks passed by the junction on Nathan Road.
An HSBC branch on Soy Street was vandalised. A living fire is seen on the floor.
The tear gas came so suddenly that Raptors who took the lead had no time to put on masks and had to take shelter in a back lane.
Pepper spray and lots of pushing, regardless of reporters already standing on pedestrian pavement and various objects at reporters back.
A CityU student reporter got pepper spray all over her face and eyes. She couldn’t help groaning while first aiders help to rinse.
Closing my #thread for the last night of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 in Prince Edward and Mong Kok here with my “new year’s firework” - a late night fried nugget.
Eat, and stay strong.
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