Student demos turn violent
- 10 years ago
Pro democracy student demonstrations in Hong Kong turned violent Saturday as police dragged screaming protesters away from the city's government headquarters.
Police used pepper spray on the students - who tried to shield themselves with umbrellas.
The trouble started the night before when students forced their way through a gate and over high fences surrounding the government compound.
One of the student leaders, 17 year old Joshua Wong, was dragged kicking and screaming with bloodied scrapes on his arm as protesters struggled to free him.
At least four people were carried off on stretchers.
This is the biggest escalation in the demonstrations since they began earlier in the week.
Last month, Beijing rejected requests for free and open elections to choose the city's next leader in 2017.
Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a 'one country two systems' formula in which universal suffrage was supposed to be an eventual goal.
Police used pepper spray on the students - who tried to shield themselves with umbrellas.
The trouble started the night before when students forced their way through a gate and over high fences surrounding the government compound.
One of the student leaders, 17 year old Joshua Wong, was dragged kicking and screaming with bloodied scrapes on his arm as protesters struggled to free him.
At least four people were carried off on stretchers.
This is the biggest escalation in the demonstrations since they began earlier in the week.
Last month, Beijing rejected requests for free and open elections to choose the city's next leader in 2017.
Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a 'one country two systems' formula in which universal suffrage was supposed to be an eventual goal.