Hong Kong is starting to recover Sunday, the day after the city went into near shutdown with banks and businesses closed, and rail services suspended for the first time in more than 20 years after violent protests caused what Chief Executive Carrie Lam described as a “very dark day.”
The rail operator will resume part of its services Sunday, though some of its most popular train stations including Admiralty, Mong Kok and Causeway Bay, in the heart of its shopping district, remain closed.
A 14-year-old boy was shot and injured Friday night, the second shooting of the week, during a scuffle between a plain-clothes police officer and demonstrators who had attacked his car. The chaotic scene was one of many across the city, as some protesters battled with police, vandalized mainland-linked businesses and train stations, and set fire to at least one train.
Businesses were closed on Saturday as the city cleaned up after the violence. Supermarkets that were open had long lines as shoppers stocked up on supplies. ATM services were affected.
The protests followed warnings from opposition leaders that Lam’s decision to invoke a colonial-era emergency law to impose a ban on protesters wearing face masks would only further anger critics. A demonstration was called for Sunday at 2 p.m. in the commercial district of Causeway Bay to protest the law banning face masks.
Here’s the latest (all times local):
Train services resume (7 a.m.)
Rail operator MTR said it plans to resume part of its service Sunday. Some stations, including Admiralty, Mong Kok, and Causeway Bay, will remain closed as staff needed time to repair damaged facilities. Train services at other stops will end earlier at 9 p.m. to allow time for repairs. The express train connecting the city center to the airport will also run normally through 1 p.m., when the service will be limited to just the airport and the Hong Kong station, without stopping at other sites following a government request, it said.
More than 10% of ATMs down (11:15 p.m.)
More than a 10th of the city’s 3,300 ATMs were damaged and couldn’t function normally, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said. Among those that functioned normally, 5% couldn’t provide withdrawal services, it added. Banks are coordinating with delivery service providers over the supply of banknotes.
Protester who was shot is arrested (9:30 p.m.)
The 14-year-old boy who was shot in the leg after a scuffle with an off-duty police officer was arrested, police said in a statement. The boy was operated on at a hospital and was in stable condition, the South China Morning Post reported.
Police confront protesters (8:30 p.m.)
Police said they had moved in to disperse protesters in the Wong Tai Sin and Yuen Long districts who were blocking roads and paralyzing traffic. The police said in a statement that they were “deploying appropriate” force in the area.
HKMA dismisses speculation (6:20 p.m.)
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the city’s de facto central bank, dismissed speculation in social media on Saturday, which it described as a “malicious attempt to cause panic among the public.”
The city has a “robust and sound” banking system with ample liquidity, the HKMA said in a statement. It’s well positioned to withstand any market volatilities and has sufficient supply of banknotes to meet the needs of the public, it said.
Police detain two (5:15 p.m.)
Police detained two people with face masks in a square in Central, RTHK reported. At least one other person was arrested after a peaceful procession by demonstrators. Riot police started appearing on the streets after marchers split up when they reached Chater Garden, their destination in Central. Some linked up in a human chain while others sang and chanted slogans in parks and squares.
Bank group apologizes (5 p.m.)
The Hong Kong Association of Banks said some banks had shut branches and suspended services to repair damage, and to ensure the safety of customers and staff.
The association expressed regret over the situation and apologized for the inconvenience. It said in a statement that it condemns the violent acts across the city and and hopes social order will be restored quickly “following the introduction of the Prohibition on Face Covering Regulation.”
Train services suspended (3:15 p.m.)
The city’s train services will be suspended for the rest of Saturday, with the exception of the Airport Express, according to operator MTR Corp. Train services had been halted Friday night. This was the first time the service has been shut down since 2007, when the company merged with Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation, MTR said.
Masked marchers (2 p.m)
Hundreds of Hong Kong protesters defied the ban on masks as they marched from Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, to Central. Fewer people took part in the procession than recent demonstrations after one of the most violent weeks since the unrest began in June.
‘Everyone is scared’: Lam (1 p.m.)
Hong Kong leader Lam said “everyone is worried and scared” after Friday’s clashes, which was “a very dark day.” The chief executive said in a recorded televised address that the city was experiencing unprecedented violence and that she cannot allow a small minority to destroy people’s freedoms.
The government will “curb the violence with the greatest determination,” she said, calling on people to support it and to condemn the violence.
Banks, stores shut (7 a.m.)
The ParknShop supermarket and Watsons retail chains, as well as some of China’s biggest state-owned lenders shut almost all their locations for the day. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. and China Construction Bank Corp. closed their branches in Hong Kong, while Bank of China (Hong Kong) Ltd. said it would only keep one open. Even 7-Eleven, known to be open around the clock, announced on its website that all stores will close at 5 p.m., as did the Wellcome supermarket chain.
One person shot (2:45 a.m.)
A plain-clothes policeman fired a shot that injured a person at about 9 p.m. on Friday after the officer was attacked and beaten by protesters, Yolanda Yu, a police senior superintendent, said a press conference early Saturday morning. The incident is being investigated, she said, defending the right of the officer to discharge his weapon as his life “was threatened.”
The police haven’t been in contact with the injured person, who’s undergoing surgery at a local hospital. While she didn’t link the case to the earlier injury sustained by a 14-year-old, Yu said she believes it’s related to the open-fire incident in the Yuen Long district.
Injured 14-year-old, officer assaulted: (Saturday 12:18 a.m.)
A 14-year-old who was sent to hospital is in a serious condition after this evening’s protests, according to a spokesman for Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority. The spokesman couldn’t specify how the patient was injured.
At around 9 p.m., a large group of “rioters” attacked a plainclothes police officer, according to a government statement. The officer was assaulted after he fell to the ground, firing his gun to warn off his assailants. Another subsequently hurled a petrol bomb at him, setting his body briefly on fire. The officer dropped his gun while escaping and a second petrol bomb was thrown at him as he called for back up, according to the statement.
Court denies interim injunction: (11:38 p.m.)
After listening to arguments for two hours, a court decided against granting a temporary suspension of the anti-mask law after pro-democracy activists brought a late Friday injunction application. The ban will come into effect at midnight.
