Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators have descended on Hong Kong’s international airport, blocking roads and filling a bus terminus, in the latest wave of political unrest to hit the city.
Less than 24 hours afterrotesters and police clashedn running battles on Saturday, demonstrators attempted to paralyse the airport, a major regional hub, on Sunday.
Protesters streamed towards the airport, blocking off a road leading to the departure hall. Outside the airport exits, protesters dismantled fences and constructed barricades. Others faced down rows of police stationed at a bus terminus on the ground floor of the airport, chanting: “Liberateong Kong, revolution now!”
Dozens of police patrolled the airport, blocking some exits.
After dozens of riot police arrived, a group of protesters piled on to a bus and left, retreating to occupy a highway leading to the airport. Some carried metal poles and fire extinguishers.
“I’m not scared because many Hongkongers have already been caught. I know I’m not alone,” said Lui Cheung, 17, wearing goggles and a scarf to cover his face and holding a small rock as he retreated.
“The government has not answered us, so we keep coming,” said Engred Lai, 18, who was in a metro station on Saturday that was stormed by police, who chased and and arrested protesters.
Inside the airport, groups of confused travellers knocked on the doors of blocked entryways, arguing with security and waving their plane tickets. Travellers abandoned taxis and dragged their luggage towards the terminal after protesters blocked roads.
Authorities shut a train service linking the city to the airport and several buses stopped running. Road blocks were also set up and cars approaching the airport searched. Police along a bridge took photos of approaching cars.
The demonstrations followed running battles with police throughout Saturday night and early Sunday morning, marking the 13th consecutive weekend of mass protests.
Police later stormed several metro stations, chasing and beating people believed to be protesters. In one incident, officers stormed a train carriage at Prince Edward station in Kowloon, using batons to beat people and deploying pepper spray.
Hong Kong is facing its worst political crisis in decades, triggered by a proposed bill to allow extradition to mainland China. The protests, which started in June, have morphed into a broader political movementemanding democracyor the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
As the protests have dragged on with neither side showing signs of backing down, Hong Kong police have deployed harsher tactics. On Saturday, as helicopters hovered overhead, police fired rounds of teargas and water cannon at protesters, staining them with blue dye to mark them for arrest later.
Protesters have escalated their tactics, throwing petrol bombs and bricks at police, and destroying cameras and ticket machines in the public transit system. Protesters built a pyre across a road outside the police headquarters in the commercial district of Wan Chai, and set it on fire.
On Sunday, the normally bustling Hong Kong was quiet and roads were empty. Several shops and malls had closed early during the previous day’s clashes.
“Day by day this doesn’t feel like Hong Kong,” said Joey Cheung, a taxi driver who was trying to get to the airport. “If Hong Kong keeps going this way, who knows what will happen. Either a police or a protester – someone is going to get killed soon, very soon.”
In August, protesters shut down the airport for several days, where they blocked travellers from reaching their flights and mobbed two men suspected of being spies, in ugly scenesor which protesters later apologised.