Hong Kong police said on Monday they arrested 36 people including a 12-year-old in a weekend of violent protests in the city. Police used water canon and fired tear gas at a group of protesters who lobbed masonry and Molotov cocktails at the security line. At one point, police fired a live bullet into the air to try to disperse the crowds–the first time officers are known to have drawn firearms in the 12 weeks of protests. The weekend marked an end to a week of relative calm as pro-democracy protesters sought to find peaceful ways to protest against the Chinese government. “The escalating illegal and violent acts of radical protesters are not only outrageous, they also push Hong Kong to the verge of a very dangerous situation,” the government said in a statement.
