Thread by @ataraxisfinch

#Mongkok: Nathan Road reoccupied as police vehicles leave, moving south towards Yau Ma Tei on Nathan Road. Air a bit peppery. #HongKongProtests

Police are stationed on foot with vehicles standing by at the junction between Nathan Rd and Waterloo Rd, Yau Ma Tei, a kilometer south of the crowds. #HongKongProtests

NOW: Chaos suddenly at Mongkok. Bricks are thrown at police vehicles. Police jump out and make arrests and pepper spray crowds. At least three arrests and many press and medics pepper sprayed. #HongKongProtests

Police arbitrarily pepper spray a local mature man in flip flops after he doesn’t run from them fast enough. #HongKongProtests

Pepper water now being deployed. Pedestrians caught in line of fire. Protestors already dispersed. #HongKongProtests

21.30, Mongkok — Onlookers suddenly furious as a reporter appears to (actually) be assaulted with a megaphone by police officer. Another receives facial injury. #HongKongProtests

22.25, Mongkok. #HongKongProtests

Note the fire in the tear gas cloud ^. Here’s the charred concrete afterwards, at the junction of Sai Yeung Choi St and Shantung St.

Protestors had already dispersed and customers were buying egg waffles and fish balls before being enveloped by the gas cloud.

Gas mask away for now. Police still staked out — and they seem to have brought the female officer that uses the loudspeaker at Prince Edward with them. The one that says ‘we’re all friends’, right before the tear gas and police beatings. #hongkongprotests

23.15, Argyle St — More tear gas, and note the sparks coming up from the heat, even after it’s been rolling. #hongkongprotests

After midnight on Nathan Rd, Mongkok. The police are still out. That means there are still crowds, albeit spread more thinly. Fires burn, adding to the already toxic cloud that seems to hang forever in Mongkok’s dense airless streets. #hongkongprotests

NOW: Mongkok — A moment of utter ruthlessness and insanity from police, as they fire pepper water onto Soy Street, hitting a dozen or so old men that sit out here during the evening. One old man late to escape is assisted by a medic. #hongkongprotests #standwithhongkong

NOW: Soy Street. Police followed the pepper water with tear gas, and are continuing to target the street. Local bystanders including elderly trapped in side doorways, badly affected. No protestors here. #HongKongProtests

This was the scene moments earlier on Soy Street. And after, as the police fire round after round of pepper water and tear gas. An old man is aided by medics on the other side. Complete insanity by the police. #HongKongProtests

NOW: It’s only local people on the street. A homeless man sleeping rough. An older man placing a bet on the races. From 00.45 and 01.05 there were repeated volleys of pepper water and tear gas without warning, fired from behind the subway roof. #HongKongProtests

01.18– Water cannon truck and tactical vehicle are still there, half an hour later. Earlier a journalist was hit with a ricochet. Most still taking cover, and even this old veteran is cautious, because the police have been that unpredictable, firing repeatedly with no warning.

00.55, Soy St — before the tear gas. Someone please make sure this crazy brave journalist gets a hot shower. #hongkongprotests

01.40: All quiet now. The elders return to their seats — but there’s one missing.

The vicious assault on Soy St by the police this evening, with rounds of pepper spray, has hospitalised one of the elders. Just an hour ago he was relaxing (having a good yawn). #HongKongProtests

Apparently in the collective rush to escape the water cannon the elder hurt his back and got a knock to the head. Vital signs are fine.

Really hard to express how appalling this was from police. Soy St is a very casual pedestrianised area where homeless people stay overnight.