Hong Kong protests turn increasingly violent

A knife-wielding man bit a local politician’s ear, slashed protesters, and told demonstrators on Sunday that Hong Kong belongs to China. Five people sustained injuries in the attack. Riot police also targeted protesters, who formed a human chain in the Cityplaza mall and vandalized shops across the semi-autonomous territory.

What is Hong Kong doing about the unrest? The government condemned the pro-democracy protests that began in June. China also issued a warning after protesters vandalized the Hong Kong office of the state-owned Xinhua news agency. The state-backed China Daily newspaper on Monday urged authorities to take a tougher stance and dismissed the movement as “adolescent hormones pumped up and primed by those willing to exploit them.”

Dig deeper: Read June Cheng’s feature in WORLD Magazine on how older volunteers are protecting protesters during the unrest.