Hong Kong protesters stage mall rallies

HONG KONG: Hong Kong protesters staged a cat-and-mouse game with riot police on Sunday, mounting protests in several shopping malls and chanting slogans until police arrived and then dispersing among weekend shoppers. Some protesters vandalised shops and police made several arrests but in most cases the protests were peaceful. The young protesters, many wearing face masks, were often supported by Sunday shoppers out for lunch. In one incident, a group of 50 shoppers inside a mall, none wearing masks, faced off against riot police outside the mall doors. Hong Kong’s police, once praised as “Asia’s finest”, have been accused of using excessive force in dealing with protesters and have lost the confidence and respect of many Hong Kongers. “Police officers have used minimum necessary force to disperse protesters, including the deployment of tear gas. We warn the rioters to stop their illegal acts immediately,” police said in a statement on Sunday. Hong Kong has been battered by four months of often massive and violent protests against what is seen as Beijing’s tightening grip on the city.— Reuters