The pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong that began in March 2019 have now extended into 2020 with more violence between police and civilians on Wednesday, as hundreds of thousands of people packed the city’s streets for an annual New Year’s Day protest march. At least 400 people were arrested for unlawful assembly after young, black-clad protesters broke off from other demonstrators in the financial district, attacking banks with hammers, Molotov cocktails, and spray paint. Police responded with pepper spray, water cannons, and tear gas. Government officials said “rioters” hijacked the march and that officers deployed only “the minimum necessary force.”
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