Hong Kong police partly tear down democracy protest site
The dawn raid sees no resistance from demonstrators, and comes as the city's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying renewed his offer for talks with student protesters a week after pulling out
PROTEST. PROTEST. Pro-democracy protesters sit on a fence during a rally of the ongoing Occupy Central movement in Admiralty District of Hong Kong, China, 16 October 2014. Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA
HONG KONG Hong Kong police partially cleared a democracy protest site Friday, October 17, tearing down tents and barricades hours after the city's embattled leader reopened his offer of talks to end nearly 3 weeks of disruptive demonstrations.
Mongkok has seen violent scuffles between demonstrators calling for full democracy in the southern Chinese city and pro-government groups.
The dawn raid was met with no resistance from demonstrators, and came as the city's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying renewed his offer for talks with student protesters a week after abruptly pulling out.
But the swift police operation risks throwing the talks into doubt as student leaders decide on their response to the raid, and defiant protesters remained on one side of the multi-lane road that housed the camp.
The Asian financial hub has been rocked by mass rallies for nearly three weeks calling both for full democracy and Leung's resignation.
Ongoing sit-ins at three major intersections have caused significant disruption to a city usually known for its stability.
China has insisted that Leung's successor must be vetted by a loyalist committee before standing for election in 2017, a proposal protesters have dismissed as a "fake democracy".
The occupation of Mongkok the second largest rally site and a densely packed working-class district known for its triad crime gangs was a regular source of tension between protesters and many residents.
Read more:
Hong Kong police partly tear down democracy protest site