Demonstrations in Hong Kong have been sparked by an extradition bill but have since morphed into broader anti-government protests. Sky News correspondent Alex Crawford provided live coverage of the protests on Saturday morning, and was forced to duck for cover as a huge fire erupted during the protest. Footage shows the Sky News correspondent Ms Crawford wearing a gas mask as protestors march through the city and police fire tear gas into the crowd.
Ms Crawford told Sky News: “Up until then it’s been very peaceful, but as you can see in the background there are a number of police who are firing repeatedly into the crowd. They’re trying to get them away from this area, this is the area where the Chinese Army Garrison is based and they’re firing directly into the crowd.”
Ms Crawford added: “We have seen some petrol bombs also being lobbed but quite a lot of tear gas, he’s just about to fire another one. You can also probably hear a helicopter above, that is being used for the first time.”
Protestors can then be seen moving backwards and shielding themselves with umbrellas, before the Sky News correspondent is forced to duck for cover. Water cannons with liquid dye can also be seen being used against protestors later in the live coverage.
Later in the coverage a huge fire erupted, with the fire brigade attending to try and douse the flames. Ms Crawford described the scenes as “absolute mayhem”.
READ MORE: Hong Kong protesters promise to do ‘whatever necessary to win’
The water cannon vehicles boast 15 high-pressure cannons that can fire more than 1,200 litres of water a minute over a distance of 50 metres.
The water can be mixed with tear gas or liquid dye that would allow police to identify the main protagonists after they are dispersed.
Joshua Wong, the pro-democracy Hong Kong activist and secretary general of Demosisto, was arrested on Friday morning (local time).
A Demosisto Facebook post wrote: “Demosisto secretary general Joshua Wong was arrested at roughly 7:30 this morning en route to the South Horizons MTR station, when he was suddenly pushed into a private car on the street.
Last Sunday tensions were further escalated as a Hong Kong police officer fired a gunshot during protests, the first time a live round has been used since demonstrations broke out in June.
No one was injured by the gunshot, as the protests intensify against the extradition bill that many fear will undermine the autonomy of the region and citizens’ rights.
Superintendent Leung Kwok-wing of New Territories South regional crime unit confirmed the incident, saying the warning shot was fired because “officers’ lives were under threat”.
Police told local media that the gunshot was fired as a warning to protesters, and that several officers had been taken to hospital as a result of the clashes.
Last Saturday the city’s embattled leader Carrie Lam posted a message on social media saying: “Everyone is tired and let’s find a solution through dialogue”.