Tensions flared between Hong Kong protesters and police on Monday as crowds gathered a year to the day after the start of huge pro-democracy rallies which brought parts of the city to a standstill.
All day crowds had numbered just a few hundred, a reflection of the movement’s loss of momentum after failing to push Beijing into allowing fully free leadership elections in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. But as 5:58 pm neared — the exact time a year ago when police fired tear gas at protesters — hundreds more poured in to the roads and walkways near government headquarters in the Admiralty financial district.
Instead of a planned moment of silence, protesters opened yellow umbrellas — symbol of the pro-democracy movement — while police warned them to back down, saying they would “use force” if they tried to occupy the nearby main road. Hundreds of angry demonstrators shouting “Open the roads!” faced off with tense police for more than an hour at the edge of the main road before the crowds dispersed voluntarily.