Police use new tactics against Hong Kong activists

Riot police in Hong Kong on Sunday fired a live warning shot and used water cannons against demonstrators, some of whom came armed with bricks and Molotov cocktails. Authorities arrested 36 people, including a 12-year-old, for unlawful assembly, possession of offensive weapons, and assaulting police officers.

Is an end in sight? Protesters are planning another march on Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of the Chinese government’s decision against allowing fully democratic elections in Hong Kong. The current unrest flared up in June in opposition to a bill that would have made it easier to extradite criminal suspects to China. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam suspended the bill, but opponents fear the government will take it up again if the protests stop.

Dig deeper: Read Erica Kwong and June Cheng’s analysis of how the protests evolved into a full-scale movement for democracy.