HONG KONG • Hong Kong saw a third straight day of political unrest during the Christmas holidays yesterday as police and pro-democracy protesters clashed inside shopping malls.
Scores of protesters donning their trademark black outfits turned up at numerous malls in popular tourist spots in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui, seeking to deter shoppers in what has emerged as a new strategy to target the city's government.
One of the protesters' targets was the iconic Sogo department store in Causeway Bay. Dozens of protesters marched through the store chanting anti-government slogans. Some pressed the stop buttons of escalators to prevent shoppers from going to other floors.
In Mong Kok, some protesters threw black paint and a flower pot from a building, prompting scores of shops and restaurants in the area to close early.
The movement also spilled over to shopping malls on the Kowloon peninsula and in the rural New Territories. At some dining outlets, protesters pasted stickers and posters which read, "Free Hong Kong, revolution now".
Riot police swooped on dozens of black-clad protesters in one mall in Tai Po district, using pepper spray and blue dye to mark suspects.
Clashes also broke out in four other malls, with police making arrests and shops shuttering their store fronts on what would normally be a bumper shopping day.
The city's malls have become regular protest venues as demonstrators try to cause economic disruption to try and pressure Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leadership.
The last month saw a relative drop-off in violence and protests after pro-democracy candidates posted landslide wins in local polls.
But with Beijing and city leaders refusing further concessions, rallies and clashes have reignited over the Christmas period. Christmas Eve saw some of the worst violence in weeks as protesters and police fought running battles for hours in a busy shopping district.
Sporadic and less severe clashes broke out again at malls on Christmas Day, leading Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam to say violent protesters had "ruined" Christmas.
The government issued a new statement yesterday condemning protesters for using violence over the last six months. "Unprecedented violence, reckless and organised destruction became the norm," the statement said.
Protest groups counter that they have been left with little choice but to hit the streets with increasingly radical tactics because Beijing and Mrs Lam are continuing to dig their heels in.
Not only has the unrest dissuaded many of the city's residents from visiting stores, it has also sapped the flow of tourists, especially those from mainland China.
The protests are set to continue into the New Year holiday. Gatherings are already scheduled at the New Town Plaza in Sha Tin today and in Sheung Shui, an area near the Chinese border, over the weekend.
The Civil Human Rights Front, the organiser of some of Hong Kong's biggest peaceful protests, has called for a march on New Year's Day through the city centre.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, BLOOMBERG, XINHUA
