Updated Sep 15, 2019 - World

Hong Kong police use tear gas and water cannons on protesters in clashes

Rebecca Falconer

Pro-democracy protesters react as police fire water cannons outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong on September 15 — Pro-democracy protesters react as police fire water cannons outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong on Sunday. Photo: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images

Hong Kong police fired tear gas and water cannons at pro-democracy protesters as violence again engulfed the Chinese-controlled territory after tens of thousands defied a ban on a mass rally to march through the city Sunday, Bloomberg reports.

The latest: Hundreds of activists threw bricks and petrol bombs over water-filled plastic barriers and into lines of riot police outside the government headquarters in Admiralty, per the Wall Street Journal. Police sprayed blue dye to mark those involved and make them identifiable if they fled, WSJ notes.

The big picture: Department stores in the tourist hub of the Causeway Bay shopping district closed their shutters in anticipation of the violent clashes that have rocked the city for weeks, Reuters notes.

Earlier, hundreds of Hong Kongers sang and chanted "God Save the Queen" outside the British Consulate, calling on the United Kingdom to ensure China honors the territory’s freedoms enjoyed since the former U.K. colony was returned to the Chinese government in 1997.

Go deeper: Hong Kong's people stand up to China

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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Hong Kong police use tear gas and water cannons on protesters in clashes

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