First Live Round of Anti-Extradition Protests Fired|荃葵青遊行衝突升級 港警朝天開"真"槍

The Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing march, part of the Hong Kong anti-extradition protests, was held on Aug. 25. Tensions escalated in the evening with scuffles erupting all over. The police arrested 36 people. In Tsuen Wan, protestors used steel pipes and wooden bats to assault police. Police used tear gas and pointed guns at protestors to clear the area.


At 8 p.m. on the 25th, a group of anti-extradition protestors in Hong Kong's Tsuen Wan attacked police with wooden bats and bricks while police were trying to clear the area. During the fray, the first live round since the demonstrations broke out was fired. On the 26th, the Hong Kong police acknowledged this happened and said the officer that fired the shot had no choice because his colleagues were under attack and warnings were going unheeded.

Six of our colleagues unholstered their firearms. One officer fired a warning shot into the air. No one was shot. During the incident, the officer exhibited heroic restraint. In addition, the use of his weapon in that moment was necessary and reasonable.

Footage from the demonstration shows police forcefully kicking protestors who were passively kneeling on the ground. Hong Kong police wrote this off as a "natural reaction." According to reports, the store that had its entrance damaged by protestors was a hiding place for the men in white shirts on July 21. Thirty-six people were arrested for unlawful assembly, carrying concealed weapons and assaulting police officers. The police say 15 officers were sent to the hospital for injuries sustained in the line of duty while the Hospital Authority says eight protestors injured during the clash with police were treated at hospitals through 8:30 p.m. on the 25th. On the 24th, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam wrote on her Facebook that everyone is tired and she hopes there can be dialogue between the two sides. One day later, she said she would read and reflect on all responses to her post and a platform for dialogue will be launched as soon as possible.



突然一聲槍響，這是在香港"荃灣"二陂坊一帶，25號晚間8點左右，警方清場時一度不敵群眾的棍棒磚頭攻勢，往後敗退，期間開出反送中運動以來第一槍，真槍實彈。警方26號凌晨召開記者會，證實"開槍"，表示因為警員不斷遇襲，發出警告無效，考量自身與同仁安全，別無選擇才會開槍示警。

港警公關科高級警司 余鎧均表示：「有六名同事，拔出配槍戒備，其中一名警員，向天發出一槍的警告，當中沒射中任何人，事件中這名警員表現英勇克制，而他使用的武力在當時的情況，是必須和合理的。」

然而現場也拍到，拿著雨傘的民眾下跪，沒有進犯意圖，卻遭到持槍員警狠狠踹了一腳。警方卻回應，這是"自然反應"。但也有部分群眾，破壞店家大門，據傳這裡7月21號曾藏匿，襲擊示威者的白衣人。根據警方說法，昨天的各區衝突中一共拘捕36人，涉嫌非法集結、藏有攻擊性武器及襲警等，強調有15名員警受傷需送醫治療。醫管局深夜則對外證實，到25號晚間8點半為止，在"荃灣"的警民衝突至少有8位民眾送醫。香港特首林鄭月娥終於在週六透過臉書說"大家都累了"希望尋求對話，週日下午再強調，網友留言都會看和感受到，目前對話平台還在構思和籌備階段，希望能夠盡快推出。