CNN apologizes for 'erroneous' report about Hong Kong police

CNN has apologized for an "erroneous" report that blamed Hong Kong police for gasoline bombs thrown by radical protesters during an illegal protest in Hong Kong on Sunday night.

In a letter to the police, Roger Clark, CNN Hong Kong's vice-president and bureau chief, conceded that a news story on its website that accused police officers of using gasoline bombs against Hong Kong protesters in Tsuen Wan was "erroneous", and said it was later "replaced".

The gasoline bombs, as seen later in an original video clip, were hurled by protesters at police officers.

CNN, in its letter, did not disclose how the mistake was made.

In a daily news conference on Wednesday, Kong Wing-cheung, senior superintendent of the police public relations branch, also noted a widely circulated, tampered-with video suggesting that gasoline bombs were thrown by police in the direction of protesters.

Kong said any attempts to conceal the violence of protesters by lying are doomed to fail.

In the latest episode of the monthslong unrest that has gripped the city, thousands of black-clad radicals clashed with police in Tsuen Wan on Sunday. They erected barricades and hurled bricks and gasoline bombs at police officers.

Amid the violent clashes, police officers in an emergency unit, which was called to deal with vandalism by radicals, were outnumbered and attacked with iron poles. Without adequate protective gear, one of the officers fired a warning shot to deter radicals from going after a fallen officer.

Following the gunshot, reporters asked police officers to explain why a shot was fired and accused them of pointing a gun at reporters.

In a statement after the Tsuen Wan clash, police urged reporters to cooperate with police operations and pay attention to their own safety.

In the meantime, fake news about police has circulated in Hong Kong following a spate of violent protests since June 9.

The daily news conferences held by police and clarifications made for on social media accounts are part of the force's efforts to counter false information and rumors.

In one case, police were accused of rounding up a father and his two young daughters who were accidentally caught between police and protesters during a violent clash at a Sha Tin shopping mall in July.

It was later found that police officers were actually escorting the three to safety.

In another case on July 13, a rumor alleged that the police shoved a protester down a footbridge, though a video told another story - that the police were saving a protester who attempted to throw himself off the footbridge.