Police today strongly condemned rioters who disregarded law and order and breached public peace on October 13.

A large group of masked rioters committed destructive acts extensively across Hong Kong in an organised manner yesterday, it said.

Since 2pm, groups of masked protesters gathered at malls and roads in districts across the city, it said. They later blocked roads with objects and committed destructive acts.

They also targeted police officers and facilities, seriously threatening the safety of officers, the force noted. In one such incident, rioters in Sha Tin threw petrol bombs at a police vehicle from a height.

In another incident, a police officer attending to a criminal damage case at MTR Kwun Tong Station was wounded by a rioter who slashed the officer’s neck from behind with a sharp object.     

Additionally, rioters surrounded two plain-clothes officers in Tseung Kwan O.  When the pair tried to leave the scene, they were attacked by rioters who used hard objects to repeatedly hit their heads. 

On Dundas Street near Nathan Road, rioters smashed the window of a police private car. 

An explosion sound was also heard when a police vehicle was travelling on Nathan Road, Police said, adding rioters hurled more than 20 petrol bombs at Mong Kok Police Station last night.

In the dispersal operations yesterday, Police used tear gas, rubber bullets, bean bag rounds and 40mm react rounds to stop protesters’ illegal acts.

Police reiterated that they will not tolerate violent behaviour and will take resolute enforcement action to safeguard the city’s public safety and bring all lawbreakers to justice.