Anger soared in Hong Kong today over a vicious assault on pro-democracy protesters by suspected triad gangsters that left dozens wounded, a dramatic escalation of the political turmoil plaguing the Chinese city.
The financial hub's roiling unrest took a dark turn late last night when rampaging gangs of men - most wearing white T-shirts and carrying bats, sticks and metal poles - set upon anti-government demonstrators as they returned from another huge march earlier.
Footage from the attack circulating on social media showed people screaming as the gangsters beat groups of protesters and journalists in Yuen Long subway station and inside trains, leaving pools of blood on the floor.
Witnesses of attack said they saw a pregnant woman being beaten to the ground during the chaos and passing out. Paramedics were seen treating the woman, who was believed to be protecting her husband during the attack. She is believed to be in stable condition.
Hospital authorities said 45 people were wounded in the assault, with one man in critical condition and five others with serious injuries.
Critics rounded on the city's embattled police force by accusing them of colluding with those who carried out the attack. Protesters said officers took more than an hour to reach the station despite frantic calls from those under attack, and failing to arrest the armed assailants who stayed in the streets around the station into this morning.
One video showed pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho shaking hands with suspected gang members after the attack, praising them as his 'heroes'.
Ho was seen applauding the alleged assailants in white shirts, giving them a thumbs up and saying 'thank you for your hard work.' He said in a Facebook post today that he was merely passing by the area after dinner when a group of people asked for pictures with him.
Major stores including Apple and Hollister, shut their stores citywide or sent staff home early today amid fears of escalating violence over the anti-government protests.
One video shows a pregnant woman being beaten to the ground during the chaos at Yuen Long station and passing out
Paramedics were seen treating the woman, who was believed to be protecting her husband in the attack. She and her unborn child are in stable condition, according to local reports
Hong Kong's roiling unrest took a dark turn late Sunday when gangs of men - most wearing white T-shirts and carrying bats, sticks and metal poles - set upon anti-government demonstrators as they returned from another huge march earlier that day
Men in white T-shirts with poles are seen in Yuen Long after attacking anti-extradition bill demonstrators at the train station
A protester shows his injuries after last night's attack at the train station carried out by triad members. Critics rounded on the city's embattled police force by accusing them of colluding with those who carried out the attack
Some men in white shirts were later filmed leaving the scene in cars with Chinese mainland number plates. One video showed pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho (above) shaking hands with the a gang members after the attack, praising them as his heroes
Five of the city's six Apple stores shut at 4 pm, five to six hours ahead of normal closing hours, according to the Wall Street Journal. The remaining store was shut all day. The company's website referred to Monday's arrangement as 'special store hours.'
An employee at a branch of Abercrombie & Fitch Co.'s Hollister in the shopping district of Causeway Bay said some staff were allowed to leave early to get home to Yuen Long, where the attack at the subway station happened.
Estée Lauder Co sent a notice to Hong Kong employees this afternoon, asking those who live in Yuen Long and Tuen Mun, another suburb, to 'leave the office as soon as possible,' according to the report.
There are fears that more violent attacks would be carried out by triads today, prompting businesses in Yoho Mall, which is connected to the metro station, to close early, according to Apple Daily.
Former sportscaster for local television TVB, Ryan Lau Chun Kong, is seen bleeding after a mob of suspected triad gangsters attacked pro-democracy protesters returning from a demonstration earlier in the day at Yuen Long train station
A mob of men in white T-shirts threatening pro-democracy protesters during clashes between the two groups at Yuen Long. Authorities said 45 people were wounded in the attack, with one man in critical condition and five others with serious injuries
Hong Kong's roiling unrest took a dark turn late last night when rampaging gangs of men - most wearing white T-shirts and carrying bats, sticks and metal poles - set upon anti-government demonstrators as they returned from another huge march earlier. Moments following the violent attack, groups of men in white with poles and bamboo staves at the village were caught on camera chatting with riot officers (above)
Protesters question why it took officers so long to arrive at site of violent attacks and want to know why no one was arrested
A senior district police commander, Yau Nai-keung, told reporters the police had not made any arrests at the station or during a follow-up search of a nearby village, but were investigating. He said police say they saw no weapons when they arrived
Some of the assailants in white shirts were later filmed leaving the scene in cars with Chinese mainland number plates. Others did not seem too concerned about masking their identity, posting selfies online, before during and after the attack, according to the BBC.
Moments following the violent attack at the station, groups of men in white with poles and bamboo staves at the village were caught on camera chatting with riot officers. The police did not seem concerned about the weapons carried by the gangsters.
A senior district police commander, Yau Nai-keung, said an initial police patrol had to wait for reinforcements given the situation involved more than 100 people.
Yau told reporters the police had not made any arrests at the station or during a follow-up search of a nearby village, but were investigating. He said police say they saw no weapons when they arrived.
Following some questioning of the men, they were allowed to leave, he told reporters.
Suspected triad members dressed in white T shirts beat protesters in Hong Kong after another huge anti-government rally
Witnesses of the attack, including Democratic lawmaker Lam Cheuk Ting, said the men appeared to target black-shirted passengers who had been at the anti-government march
Rampaging gangsters attack passengers on one of the carriages at Yuen Long station leaving one man bleeding from his head
'We can't say you have a problem because you are dressed in white and we have to arrest you. We will treat them fairly no matter which camp they are in,' Yau said.
Chief Superintendent John Tse Chun-chung, head of the police public relations bureau, denied the collusion accusations.
'I cannot agree. Just because we were not at the scene right away, doesn't mean we colluded with any party,' he said in a radio programme today.
Democratic lawmaker Lam Cheuk Ting said the men last night appeared to target black-shirted passengers who had been at the anti-government march earlier in the day.
Lam, who was wounded in the face and hospitalised, said the police ignored calls he made, pleading with them to intervene and prevent bloodshed.
An image circulating on Facebook shows a group of men dressed in white brandishing sticks posing for pictures
Protesters shine lasers towards police during clashes following a march against the extradition bill earlier on Sunday
Protesters with helmet and homemade shields seen during the stand off with the police. Officers later used tear gas and rubber bullets in dispersing the crowd
Riot police use bean bag round to disperse anti-extradition bill demonstrators. Hong Kong has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history by weeks of marches and sporadic violent confrontations between police and protesters
Acrid clouds of tear gas wafted through the city's densely packed commercial district as police battled masked protesters after another huge protest march, with seemingly no end in sight to the turmoil engulfing the finance hub
'They deliberately turned a blind eye to these attacks by triads on regular citizens,' he told Reuters, saying the floors of the station were streaked with blood.
'Their very barbaric and violent acts have already completely violated the bottom line of Hong Kong's civilised society,' he told reporters early today.
Bowie Tin, 28, said she was travelling on the subway on her way home when the train stopped at Yuen Long station at about 10:55pm for more than 15 minutes.
'There were protesters dressed in black telling people not to get off the train because there was an ongoing attack downstairs at the station lobby,' she told MailOnline.
'They were also asking if there are doctors or nurses on the train because some people were hit in the head and were bleeding,' she added. 'I went out and saw masked men dressed in white attacking people in front of children, women and elderly people.'
One man is left seriously injured after the violent attack at the train station last night. Furious pro-democracy lawmakers held a press conference today where they accused the city's pro-Beijing leaders of turning a blind eye to the attacks
Furious fellow pro-democracy lawmakers held a press conference today where they accused the city's pro-Beijing leaders of turning a blind eye to the attacks. 'This is triad gangs beating up Hong Kong people,' fumed Alvin Yeung. 'Yet you pretend nothing had happened?'
'It was horrifying. I wanted to cry. I prayed for the train doors to close as soon as possible. I feared for my life,' she said.
Furious pro-democracy lawmakers held a press conference today where they accused the city's pro-Beijing leaders of turning a blind eye to the attacks.
'This is triad gangs beating up Hong Kong people,' fumed Alvin Yeung. 'Yet you pretend nothing had happened?'
The clashes have ratcheted up concern that the city's feared triad gangs are wading into the political conflict.
Yuen Long lies in the New Territories near the Chinese border where the criminal gangs and staunchly pro-Beijing rural committees remain influential.
China allows pictures of Hong Kong protest to circulate on social media for the first time 'to fan public anger'
China has allowed the pictures of yesterday's Hong Kong protest to be shared on social media in an apparent bid to fan up public anger after censoring the city's ongoing anti-government demonstrations for more than a month.
One image circulating on Twitter-like Weibo shows the Chinese national emblem hung outside Beijing's representative office in Hong Kong covered with black ink. Others capture the anti-Beijing graffiti written outside the office.
Yesterday evening, protesters descended on the Liason Office - the department that represents China's central government during a fresh round of rallies in central Hong Kong.
Pictures of Beijing's representative office in Hong Kong defaced with anti-government graffiti have been circulating on China's Weibo
China's state newspaper People's Daily is calling web users to 'safeguard Hong Kong' with a poster (right) on Twitter-like Weibo while a picture showing a Chinese national emblem splattered by black ink (right) has also been allowed to make rounds on social media
The government building, situated in Sai Wan District, was pelted with eggs and daubed with graffiti. Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters hours after.
China's state newspaper People's Daily is calling web users to 'safeguard Hong Kong' today with a poster showing both the flag of Hong Kong and the national flag of China.
The paper - the mouthpiece of the Communist Party - said protesters attacked China's national sovereignty and openly taunted the 'one country, two systems' principle.
Footage of workers cleaning the Chinese emblem has also been released by China's state broadcaster CCTV.
CCTV said in prime-time news that 'all walks of life in Hong Kong condemned the violent behaviour of radical demonstrators' before citing the city's former pro-Beijing Chief Executives Tung Chee-hwa and Leung Chun-ying.
China News highlighted a pro-Beijing rally in central Hong Kong on Saturday.
The report said more than 310,000 'patriotic people' attended the event, called 'Safeguard HK', to condemn violence and separatism.
One expert told The Wall Street Journal that China seemed to be trying to control the narrative of the Hong Kong protests after news of the anti-Beijing rallies had reached mainland despite censorship efforts.
Hong Kong has been rocked by anti-government protests since the beginning of June.
The rallies were first sparked by a proposed extradition law which would allow criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China for trial.
The large-scale protests involving millions later transformed into demonstrations against China's ruling over the former British colony.
Mainland Chinese media had largely avoided reporting the Hong Kong protests. Pictures and footage related to the demonstrations had been hard to find on Chinese social media until today.
Witnesses of the attack, including Democratic lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting (left), said the men appeared to target black-shirted passengers who had been at the anti-government march. Lam, who was wounded in the face and hospitalised, said the police ignored calls he made, pleading with them to intervene and prevent bloodshed
Hong Kong has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent histor
Hong Kong conflict: The financial hub has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history by weeks of marches and sporadic violent confrontations between police and pockets of hardcore protesters
Similar assaults by pro-government vigilantes against demonstrators during the 2014 'Umbrella Movement' protests were blamed on triads.
As the mob rampage unfolded in Yuen Long police were simultaneously battling hardcore democracy protesters in the middle of the city's commercial district.
Riot officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters, hours after China's Hong Kong Liaison Office was daubed with eggs and graffiti in a vivid rebuke to Beijing's rule.
China today harshly criticised protesters for hauling eggs and black ink at its office, accusing the demonstrators of violence without mentioning the attack against protesters and civilians last night.
China's Foreign Ministry says the behaviour of 'some radical demonstrators' in Hong Kong 'touched the bottom line of the 'one country, two systems' principle and must not be tolerated.'
The Chinese national emblem at the China Liaison Office is splashed with paint by anti-extradition bill protesters last night
Similar assaults by pro-government vigilantes against demonstrators during the 2014 'Umbrella Movement' protests were blamed on triads
Weeks of huge protests have done little to persuade the city's unelected leaders - or Beijing - to change tack on its future
Triad members were seen carrying weapons and had set upon the protesters at the station as the clashes continued last night
Wang Zhimin, the head of the office, blasted the protesters, saying they had insulted 'all Chinese people' as he called on Hong Kong's government to pursue the 'rioters'.
The official People's Daily newspaper, in a front-page commentary headlined 'Central Authority Cannot Be Challenged,' called the protesters' actions 'intolerable.'
Xinhua added the demonstration 'blatantly challenged the authority of the central government' and was 'absolutely intolerable'.
In a rare change in tack that appears aimed at fanning public anger against the demonstrations, China allowed images of Hong Kong's protests to spread on social media.
Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam said the targeting of the office was a 'challenge' to national sovereignty, condemning violent behaviour of any kind.
She also described as 'shocking' the attack by organised triad criminal gangs on ordinary citizens and protesters at Yuen Long, saying authorities would investigate fully.
However, she called allegations that police colluded with masked assailants 'unfounded.'
'It is groundless for anyone to accuse the government of colluding with attackers,' she said. 'Their behaviour was infuriating. We absolutely do not allow and tolerate such behaviour. I have already requested the police commissioner spare no effort in arresting the attackers.'
'Violence is not a solution to any problem. Violence will only breed more violence, and at the end of the day the whole of Hong Kong and the people will suffer as a result of the loss of law and order. I call on all sectors and the public to safeguard the rule of law and say no to violence,' she added.
Earlier yesterday, another huge and peaceful anti-government march had made its way through the city - the seventh weekend in a row that residents have come out en masse.
Riot officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters, hours after China's Hong Kong Liaison Office was daubed with eggs and graffiti in a vivid rebuke to Beijing's rule
China today harshly criticised protesters for hauling eggs at its office, accusing the demonstrators of violence without mentioning the attack against protesters and civilians last night
Wang Zhimin, the head of the office, blasted the protesters, saying they had insulted 'all Chinese people' as he called on Hong Kong's government to pursue the 'rioters'
The smashed glass entrance to the office of pro-Beijing government lawmaker Junius Ho is seen as protesters gather by the premises in Hong Kong's Tsuen Wan district today. The official People's Daily newspaper, in a front-page commentary headlined 'Central Authority Cannot Be Challenged,' called the protesters' actions 'intolerable'
Hong Kong has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history by weeks of marches and sporadic violent confrontations between police and pockets of hardcore protesters.
The initial protests were lit by a now-suspended bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, but they have since evolved into a wider movement calling for democratic reforms, universal suffrage and a halt to sliding freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory.
The city's parliament was trashed by protesters earlier this month, as Beijing's authority faces its most serious challenge since Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997.
Six weeks of huge protests have done little to persuade the city's unelected leaders - or Beijing - to change tack on the hub's future.
Under the 1997 handover deal with Britain, China promised to allow Hong Kong to keep key liberties such as its independent judiciary and freedom of speech.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters walk along Hennessay Road during an anti-extradition bill march yesterday
Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam (centre) said this morning the targeting of the office was a 'challenge' to national sovereignty, condemning violent behaviour of any kind
Six weeks of protests have done little to persuade the city's unelected leaders - or Beijing - to change tack on the hub's future
Under the 1997 handover deal with Britain, China promised to allow Hong Kong to keep key liberties such as its independent judiciary and freedom of speech
But many say those provisions are already being curtailed, citing the disappearance into mainland custody of dissident booksellers, the disqualification of prominent politicians and the jailing of pro-democracy protest leaders
But many say those provisions are already being curtailed, citing the disappearance into mainland custody of dissident booksellers, the disqualification of prominent politicians and the jailing of pro-democracy protest leaders.
Authorities have also resisted calls for the city's leader to be directly elected by the people.
Protesters have vowed to keep their movement going until their core demands - such as an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested, a permanent withdrawal of the bill, universal suffrage and Lam's resignation - are met.
There is little sign that either Lam or Beijing will budge.
Beyond agreeing to suspend the extradition bill there have been few other concessions and fears are rising that Beijing's patience is running out.
Why is Hong Kong's extradition law fueling protests?
Hong Kong's government has indefinitely suspended the debate on an extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial for the first time, after chaotic protests by tens of thousands of people.
Hong Kong residents, as well as foreign and Chinese nationals living or traveling through the global financial hub, would all be at risk if they are wanted on the mainland.
Pro-establishment political forces are dominant in the Legislative Council and the bill is expected to be passed by the end of the month.
WHAT DOES THE EXTRADITION BILL INVOLVE?
Protesters march along a downtown street against the proposed amendments to an extradition law in Hong Kong on Sunday last week
The Hong Kong government first launched the proposals in February, putting forward sweeping changes that would simplify case-by-case extraditions of criminal suspects to countries beyond the 20 with which Hong Kong has existing extradition treaties.
It explicitly allows extraditions from Hong Kong to greater China - including the mainland, Taiwan and Macau - for the first time, closing what Hong Kong government officials have repeatedly described as a 'loophole' that they claim has allowed the city to become a haven for criminals from the mainland.
Hong Kong's leader would start and finally approve an extradition following a request from a foreign jurisdiction but only after court hearings, including any possible appeals. However, the bill removes Legislative Council oversight of extradition arrangements.
WHY IS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PUSHING IT NOW?
Officials initially seized on the murder last year of a young Hong Kong woman holidaying in Taiwan to justify swift changes. Police say her boyfriend confessed on his return to Hong Kong and he is now in jail on lesser money-laundering charges.
Taiwan authorities have strongly opposed the bill, which they say could leave Taiwanese citizens exposed in Hong Kong and have vowed to refuse taking back the murder suspect if the bill is passed.
A long-forgotten issue, the need for an eventual extradition deal with the mainland was acknowledged by government officials and experts ahead of Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997 under the 'one country, two systems' model.
The city maintains a separate and independent legal system as part of the broader freedoms the formula guarantees. Little progress has been made in discreet talks since then with justice and security officials on the mainland, where the Communist Party still controls the courts.
HOW STRONG IS OPPOSITION TO THE BILL?
Protest placards and flowers are displayed during a demonstration in Hong Kong on June 11 to demand authorities scrap a proposed extradition bill with China
Concern about the amendments has spiraled in recent weeks, taking in pro-business and pro-Beijing elements usually loath to publicly contradict the Hong Kong or Chinese governments.
Senior Hong Kong judges have privately expressed alarm, and mainland commercial lawyers based in Hong Kong have echoed their fears, saying the mainland system cannot be trusted to meet even basic standards of judicial fairness. Hong Kong lawyers' groups have issued detailed submissions to the government, hoping to force a postponement.
Authorities have repeatedly stressed that judges will serve as 'gatekeepers' or guardians for extradition requests. However, some judges say privately that China's increasingly close relationship with Hong Kong and the limited scope of extradition hearings will leave them exposed to criticism and political pressure from Beijing.
Schools, lawyers and church groups have joined human rights groups to protest against the measures. Following a brawl in the legislature over the bill, the government moved to fast-track the bill by scrapping established legislative procedures that stoked outrage amongst critics.
Police officers stand guard outside the Legislative Council building as people protest the extradition bill with China in Hong Kong on the night of June 11
Foreign political and diplomatic pressure over human rights concerns is rising, too. As well as recent statements from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his British and German counterparts, some 11 European Union envoys met Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam to protest formally.
'It's a proposal, or a set of proposals, which strike a terrible blow ... against the rule of law, against Hong Kong's stability and security, against Hong Kong's position as a great international trading hub,' Hong Kong's last British governor, Chris Patten, said on Thursday.
Some opposition politicians say the issue now represents a turning point for the city's free status.
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News Photo Hong Kong triad mob beat pregnant woman to the ground in violent attack against protesters
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