Hong Kong protests: police spray blue dye from water cannon and government helicopters spotted, as protesters throw Molotovs and bricks

Skirmishes between anti-government protesters and police have been breaking out at multiple locations across Hong Kong island for a record 13th straight week of demonstrations. After the police declined to issue a letter of no objection to the Civil Human Rights Front to hold a mass march on the fifth anniversary of Beijing’s failed introduction of a restrictive electoral reform, the pro-democracy concern group cancelled their event.

However, tens of thousands of citizens decided to take out to the streets anyway, in what police say is an illegal assembly. An earlier Christian rally at Southern playground turned into a march, and many people gathered at Chater Garden and began to move towards government headquarters in Admiralty.

Helicopters from the Government Flying Service were spotted in the afternoon hovering above the flashpoints, and continued to fly overhead throughout the night. Things turned tense outside Legco early evening as protesters threw multiple petrol bombs at police, threw bricks and used a giant slingshot to hurl rocks at officers around the building. Police responded with tear gas, and sprayed blue dye from water cannon for the first time. The force stated that the blue dye was for identifying purposed only, and did not contain harmful agents.