{"source_url": "https://www.theguardian.com", "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/01/hong-kong-police-fire-teargas-amid-new-years-eve-protests", "title": "Hong Kong police fire teargas amid New Year's Eve protests", "top_image": "https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/745bb051491116c08c50ddaa0c9df98192e39c69/0_101_5000_2999/master/5000.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=c32310296b4d549d4b7f6160c9654be6", "meta_img": "https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/745bb051491116c08c50ddaa0c9df98192e39c69/0_101_5000_2999/master/5000.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=c32310296b4d549d4b7f6160c9654be6", "images": ["https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/745bb051491116c08c50ddaa0c9df98192e39c69/0_101_5000_2999/master/5000.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ccaa8af93464400ba9157aa48316c9de", "https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/7a280f1551bfd8be050c58f5f5a279543736dd6c/0_0_4096_2731/master/4096.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=58c0a5adc49fe463ae245e869da91331", "https://phar.gu-web.net/count/pvg.gif", "https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=6035250&cv=2.0&cj=1&comscorekw=Hong+Kong%2CChina%2CAsia+Pacific%2CProtest", "https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f70fbdf1b11f68c3cb6fb76d5bb6222d62a5433c/0_0_3500_2390/master/3500.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=2e3273d93de14e9b459f6462e2bad521", "https://phar.gu-web.net/count/pv.gif", "https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/745bb051491116c08c50ddaa0c9df98192e39c69/0_101_5000_2999/master/5000.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=c32310296b4d549d4b7f6160c9654be6"], "movies": [], "text": "Authorities responded quickly after activists set fire to barricades as city prepares for a huge march on New Year\u2019s Day\n\nHong Kong police fired teargas a few minutes into 2020 as pro-democracy protesters marked the New Year with midnight countdown rallies ahead of a huge march on 1 January.\n\nThe city has been battered by more than six months of unrest with marches attended by millions, as well as confrontations in which police have fired teargas and rubber bullets \u2013 and protesters have responded with petrol bombs.\n\nHong Kong: reporter blinded covering protests on her bid to sue police Read more\n\nThousands of protesters gathered across the financial hub before midnight on New Year\u2019s Eve, including along the waterfront of Victoria Harbour and at the nightlife hotspot Lan Kwai Fong.\n\nProtesters at the harbourfront counted down chanting \u201cTen! Nine! Liberate Hong Kong, revolution now!\u201d as they lit up their phones in a sea of lights.\n\nSmaller crowds of protesters in the Mong Kok district set fire to barricades, before riot police unleashed 2020\u2019s first volleys of teargas in response.\n\nFacebook Twitter Pinterest Demonstrators light up their phones to mark the new year in Hong Kong. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters\n\nShortly before the final day of 2019 drew to a close, police had used water cannon to disperse protesters in the same area while, in the nearby Prince Edward neighbourhood, officers arrested several protesters staging a candlelight vigil.\n\nEarlier in the evening, thousands of people linked arms in human chains that stretched for miles along busy shopping streets and through local neighbourhoods.\n\nThey chanted slogans, sang \u201cGlory to Hong Kong\u201d \u2013 a protest anthem \u2013 and held up posters calling for people to fight for democracy in 2020.\n\n\u201cThanks to 2019, which tore off the ugly masks of the police and the government and let the people see the truth,\u201d said protester Kris, a medic who joined protest.\n\nChildren of the revolution: the Hong Kong youths ready to 'sacrifice everything' Read more\n\n\u201cThe movement is kind of like at its bottleneck now. Hopefully a huge turnout at tomorrow\u2019s march could bring back people\u2019s passion,\u201d he added.\n\nThe city\u2019s traditional New Year Eve\u2019s bumper fireworks display was cancelled due to safety concerns, but a light show and smaller-scale fireworks took place instead.\n\nIn late November, the city\u2019s pro-democracy camp scored a landslide victory in a municipal-level vote seen as a referendum on the Beijing-backed government\u2019s handling of political unrest.\n\nFacebook Twitter Pinterest A man is detained by riot police in Mongkok. Photograph: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images\n\nThe protest movement has since become quieter but sporadic clashes have persisted.\n\nIn a New Year\u2019s video message broadcast on state media, Chinese president Xi Jinping said Hong Kong\u2019s recent upheaval was concerning and that the \u201cpeople of our motherland\u201d expected stability in the restive city.\n\nBut protesters have vowed to continue their effort to push for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability.\n\nOn Tuesday night, demonstrators also swarmed major shopping malls, which have become regular protest venues in an effort to cause economic disruption.\n\n\u201c2019 is a remarkable and special year for every single Hongkonger,\u201d 25-year-old teacher Sam told AFP as he celebrated New Year\u2019s Eve with his family at the harbourfront.\n\n\u201cPeople\u2019s demands are loud and clear, but the government is not listening. In 2020, I really hope it will be a better year for all Hong Kong people.\u201d\n\nThe Civil Human Rights Front, the chief organiser of marches, hopes for a huge turnout at Wednesday\u2019s rally to urge the government to respond to the demands of the pro-democracy movement - which include an independent inquiry into the police, amnesty for arrestees and fully free elections.\n\nPolice have arrested nearly 6,500 people since June - nearly a third of them aged under 20.\n\n\u201cThe youngsters have sacrificed a lot for justice... 2019 is a wake-up call,\u201d a 63-year-old retiree, who gave his surname as Shiu, told AFP.\n\n\u201cPeople will be more determined in the new year. People know that the future of Hong Kong depends on whether we can achieve the five demands.\u201d\n\nThe demonstrations were sparked by a now-abandoned bill to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland, but have since morphed into a popular revolt against Beijing\u2019s control - the biggest crisis since the former British colony\u2019s return to Chinese rule in 1997.\n\n\n\n", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": ["Hong Kong", "China", "Asia Pacific", "Protest"], "tags": [], "authors": ["Agence France-Presse"], "publish_date": "Wed Jan  1 00:00:00 2020", "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "Authorities responded quickly after activists set fire to barricades as city prepares for a huge march on New Year\u2019s Day", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "https://assets.guim.co.uk/images/favicons/fee5e2d638d1c35f6d501fa397e53329/152x152.png", "meta_data": {"description": "Authorities responded quickly after activists set fire to barricades as city prepares for a huge march on New Year\u2019s Day", "format-detection": "telephone=no", "HandheldFriendly": "True", "viewport": "width=device-width,minimum-scale=1,initial-scale=1", "apple-mobile-web-app-title": "Guardian", "application-name": "The Guardian", "msapplication-TileColor": "#052962", "theme-color": "#052962", "msapplication-TileImage": "https://assets.guim.co.uk/images/favicons/023dafadbf5ef53e0865e4baaaa32b3b/windows_tile_144_b.png", "thumbnail": "https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/745bb051491116c08c50ddaa0c9df98192e39c69/0_101_5000_2999/master/5000.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ae363bbf487f12a77dac03bcf57fbb88", "keywords": "Hong Kong,China,Asia Pacific,Protest", "news_keywords": "Hong Kong,China,Asia Pacific,Protest", "og": {"url": "http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/01/hong-kong-police-fire-teargas-amid-new-years-eve-protests", "image": "https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/745bb051491116c08c50ddaa0c9df98192e39c69/0_101_5000_2999/master/5000.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=c32310296b4d549d4b7f6160c9654be6", "description": "Authorities responded quickly after activists set fire to barricades as city prepares for a huge march on New Year\u2019s Day", "type": "article", "title": "Hong Kong police fire teargas amid New Year's Eve protests", "site_name": "the Guardian"}, "article": {"author": "Agence France-Presse", "publisher": "https://www.facebook.com/theguardian", "section": "World news", "published_time": "2020-01-01T01:58:12.000Z", "tag": "Hong Kong,China,Asia Pacific,Protest", "modified_time": "2020-01-01T01:58:14.000Z"}, "al": {"ios": {"url": "gnmguardian://world/2020/jan/01/hong-kong-police-fire-teargas-amid-new-years-eve-protests?contenttype=Article&source=applinks", "app_store_id": 409128287, "app_name": "The Guardian"}}, "fb": {"app_id": 180444840287, "pages": 516977308337360}, "twitter": {"app": {"id": {"iphone": 409128287, "ipad": 409128287, "googleplay": "com.guardian"}, "name": {"googleplay": "The Guardian", "ipad": "The Guardian", "iphone": "The Guardian"}, "url": {"ipad": "gnmguardian://world/2020/jan/01/hong-kong-police-fire-teargas-amid-new-years-eve-protests?contenttype=Article&source=twitter", "googleplay": "guardian://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/01/hong-kong-police-fire-teargas-amid-new-years-eve-protests", "iphone": "gnmguardian://world/2020/jan/01/hong-kong-police-fire-teargas-amid-new-years-eve-protests?contenttype=Article&source=twitter"}}, "image": "https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/745bb051491116c08c50ddaa0c9df98192e39c69/0_101_5000_2999/master/5000.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&s=24153c3d081e092e278ec5435481ae79", "site": "@guardian", "card": "summary_large_image", "dnt": "on"}}, "canonical_link": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/01/hong-kong-police-fire-teargas-amid-new-years-eve-protests"}