Hong Kong rings in New Year with tear gas, violent clashes

Bloomberg

Hong Kong began 2020 with a familiar sight: Tear gas, fires, vandalism and roadblocks in busy downtown areas as protesters vowed to maintain their fight for more democracy and less Chinese control.
Running battles between riot police and demonstrators continued into the night after tens of thousands of mostly peaceful protesters flooded streets from Causeway Bay to Central. Tensions escalated after police abruptly ended the rally following clashes outside of a branch of HSBC Holdings Plc, which had become a target of protesters in recent weeks.
“Instead of celebrating New Year’s Day like the rest of the world, we are out here in the streets fighting for our government to answer our demands,” said Sarah, 28, as a crowd of black-clad protesters sang the anti-government anthem “Glory to Hong Kong.”
“We will keep coming out month after month, year after year because this isn’t just about us — it’s about our children,” she said. “This is our home and we are not giving up. We have to stand up against China and against dictatorship.”
The chaotic images mirrored those that have occurred dozens of times since the unrest broke out in June after the Beijing-backed local administration proposed a bill that would allow extraditions to China for the first time. While Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, has since withdrawn the legislation, she has refused to meet additional demands including an independent inquiry into police violence and direct leadership elections.
The violence has pushed Hong Kong’s economy into recession and forced the cancellation of numerous events, including an annual fireworks display on New Year’s Eve. Lam said in a year-end video message that restoring social “order and harmony” should be the city’s resolution for 2020, while President Xi Jinping defended China’s system for running Hong Kong in an unusually high-profile acknowledgment of its political turmoil.
“Without a harmonious and stable environment, how can people live in peace and enjoy their work?” Xi asked in a New Year’s Eve address, wearing a suit and seated behind a desk. “I sincerely wish Hong Kong well. Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability is the wish of Hong Kong compatriots and the expectation of our motherland.”
On the city’s streets, protesters expressed frustration with the approach from China’s leaders while pledging to continue the fight. They also attacked HSBC, which closed an account linked to the protests in November, lighting a fire at one branch and vandalizing iconic lion statues outside of its Hong Kong headquarters.
Police last month arrested four people for suspected money laundering linked to the pro-democracy protests and froze HK$70 million ($9 million) in funds related to the Spark Alliance, a group that helps protesters pay legal fees. HSBC defended its decision to close the account, saying the move was unrelated to the December arrests and followed a “direct instruction” from the customer.