A Hong Kong police officer was seen shooting pepper balls at close range against protesters on Sunday as they were leaving the scene via Tai Koo MTR station. The police also shot a woman with an apparent bean ban round in Tsim Sha Tsui, causing rupture of her right eye.
Hong Kong has seen its tenth consecutive week of social unrest sparked by a controversial extradition law. Protesters defied police bans throughout Sunday, descending upon multiple districts, with scores of people arrested in police clearance operations.
As riot police pushed protesters back in Tai Koo at around 11pm, a group of officers chased after a group of activists who were going down an escalator.
【23:00 太古】防暴警衝入太古站，在扶手電梯追捕示威者，有示威者被制服，雙手被綁帶走，有人頭部受傷，當中包括長者。其間多名速龍小隊持槍在站內向示威者開槍，有警員於不足一米距離向示威者瘋狂掃射，更有示威者被制服地上仍被警員亂棍毆打，甚至用腳狂踢頭部，更有警員將示威者推落扶手電梯。（林幸泉攝）Hong Kong Police charging into a subway station and firing into activist at point blank range. (Apple Daily, Hong Kong)【太古站內近距離行刑式開槍 民權觀察：當示威者靶咁射】http://bit.ly/31D8PnL【瘋警闖太古站開槍 1米內行刑式掃射示威者】http://bit.ly/2YVleWp【葵芳港鐵站內射催淚彈橡膠彈！濃度積聚可殺人違指引】http://bit.ly/2KDMvmT【抗爭男哭訴遭插贓嫁禍！被制服後警插竹支入背囊】http://bit.ly/2KKiH8a【少女疑遭警瞄頭 布袋彈射中眼恐失明 速龍尖嘴近距連環開槍「行刑」】http://bit.ly/2KE68LD【偽裝示威者混入拉人！路邊七人車突襲 警為拘示威者賤招盡出】http://bit.ly/2KGkXNW【男子遭打甩門牙 克警不理哀求膝跪頭部壓地至滿口鮮血】http://bit.ly/2KEyuFN============== 《蘋果動新聞》只限升級壹會員閱覽🍎 新聞有價，立即$3訂閱：http://bit.ly/2IBskVE
Posted by 現場 － 蘋果突發 on Sunday, 11 August 2019
A tactical unit officer ran forward and grabbed a protester before he began shooting at the crowd with a pepper ball gun at close range.
The officer then grabbed another protester and pushed him onto the ground. Other officers in riot gear were seen beating protesters using batons.
Icarus Wong of Civil Rights Observer said on an RTHK programme on Monday that the behaviour was akin to officers “venting their anger at live targets.”
“There were large numbers of officers and they could have subdued protesters with bare hands,” he said. “The scene was chaotic and the police action could have led to protesters falling down the escalator, causing a stampede.”
Eye injury
Earlier, at around 7:30pm on Sunday, a young woman outside Tsim Sha Tsui police station was appeared to have been shot by police with a bean bag round, causing her eye shield to crack.
She was hospitalised after emergency treatment on the scene. Ming Pao cited hospital sources as saying that her right eyeball was ruptured, and her right eyelid and maxilla were also broken. She received an emergency operation.
According to police rules, bean bag rounds should not be shot towards someone’s head – only at the body or limbs.
HK Riot Police fired bullet and headshot a young lady. I am not sure whether her right eye will turn blind or not but it is totally insane and terrible. US should not export tear gas and rubber bullet to HK Police anymore. pic.twitter.com/R9gZKZysaO
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 😷 (@joshuawongcf) August 11, 2019
Protesters called for a rally at Hong Kong airport on Monday afternoon to condemn police behaviour.
Some protesters arrested in Tsim Sha Tsui were brought to the San Uk Ling Holding Centre near Lo Wu, close to the Chinese border.
Three lawyers – Simon Tso, Lai Ho-yeung and Andrew Lau – lodged a public complaint claiming that police deliberately denied them the right to see their clients.
“The behaviour on the part of your officers led to the undesirable consequence of our clients being deprived their rights to legal representation and legal advice,” they said.
On Monday, medical professionals protested at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital – some wore a right eye patch, in reference to the incident on Sunday. “Hong Kong police attempt to murder Hong Kong citizens,” a banner read.
Police injury
The police said an officer sustained burn injuries on the legs after being hit by a petrol bomb hurled by a protester. He was on duty inside Tsim Sha Tsui police station.
Ming Pao cited sources as saying that the officer suffered ten per cent second-degree burns on his left leg, and a three per cent first-degree burn on his right leg, but they did not pose a danger to life.
Police Commissioner Stephen Lo visited the injured officer at Princess Margaret Hospital and expressed anger and severe condemnation against the “reckless, violent and unlawful acts” of protesters.
警務處處長探望燒傷同事＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊警務處處長盧偉聰今日（八月十一日）晚上，到瑪嘉烈醫院探望今日較早前，在尖沙咀警署內執勤時被暴徒投擲汽油彈引致雙腳燒傷的一名同事。對於有同事因為執勤時受到嚴重傷害，處長感到非常難過。對於暴…
Posted by 香港警察 Hong Kong Police on Sunday, 11 August 2019
The Hong Kong government issued a statement at 12:36am on Monday, condemning the protests.
“Violent protesters vandalised public property and blocked roads. They also besieged police stations, aimed laser beams and hurled bricks to attack police officers. Some violent protesters even hurled petrol bombs, injuring a police officer,” a spokesperson said.
“We are outraged by the violent protesters’ behaviours which showed a total disregard of the law, posing a serious threat to the safety of police officers and other members of the public. We severely condemn the acts.”
