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Protester shot by police, trail of destruction across Hong Kong, while Beijing celebrates National Day
- Violence erupts across the city after tens of thousands of demonstrators defy ban to take to the streets in the afternoon
- Tensions escalate after officer shoots teenage secondary student in chest, leaving him in critical condition
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China’s grand celebration to mark the 70th anniversary of communist rule was marred by violent protests in Hong Kong on Tuesday, with a police officer opening fire at a protester for the first time, injuring him in the chest.
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Video footage showed the officer firing at the 18-year-old student who, along with other protesters, was trying to attack him and another officer during a scuffle. The student from Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College was transferred from Princess Margaret Hospital to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where he underwent surgery. He was in a stable condition on Wednesday.
The incident could lead to further hostility between anti-government protesters and the police force, as Hong Kong’s worst political crisis in decades – triggered by a now-withdrawn extradition bill – shows no sign of abating.
Police also fired five live-round warning shots skywards in other neighbourhoods as violence reached an unprecedented level, with officers battling large groups of protesters across the city.
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Hong Kong, one of the most crowded metropolises in the world, had been in virtual lockdown since the morning, with many shops and subway stations closed.
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