Return of HK violence condemned

The return of lawlessness and violence to the streets of Hong Kong over the Labor Day holiday has drawn widespread criticism and spread unease throughout the city.

The four-day holiday, which started on Thursday, has seen crowds of protestors clash with police at demonstrations scattered across the city, in defiance of the social distancing edict. Petrol bombs were thrown at a police vehicle on Friday night and police seized 10 kilograms of flammable materials, chemicals and other equipment used for making bombs.

A spokesperson for the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government accused the perpetrators of willfully undermining the city's rule of law, without regard for the suffering of Hong Kong people.

In an online statement published on Saturday, the spokesperson warned that Hong Kong faces an abysmal future if criminals roam city streets unimpeded.

Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said hope of an economic recovery and a return to prosperity had been clouded by the lawless behavior over the holiday.

In his Sunday blog, the city's second-highest ranking official said a small group of radicals was bent on destroying Hong Kong to further their own political aims.

The city's economy faces unprecedented challenges. The government's latest forecasts predict the economy will shrink by 4 to 7 percent this year, much worse than the 0.5 to 1.5 percent contraction forecast in February.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the current economic conditions were the worst since the city began recording its economic performance in the 1960s.

Hong Kong residents also expressed concern about the renewed violence.

Taxi driver Leung Tat-chong said no one wants to see another round of violent protests and deepening social rifts, even those who had previously backed the anti-government protests.

He said some taxi drivers, who supported the riots last year, said they now hoped people would quit creating chaos on the streets and spare the people of Hong Kong further grief after nearly a year of social turmoil.

A 15-year-old was arrested in connection with the petrol bomb attack on Friday night. He is one of 1,400 underage protesters arrested for their roles in the street violence which erupted in June.

The Liaison Office spokesperson said the radicalization of young people came at the sacrifice of their futures and accused Hong Kong's opposition politicians of inciting young people to break the law.

Wong Kwan-yu, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, accused opposition lawmakers of failing to take a clear position against the violence and on occasions appearing to glorify it.

Hong Kong will remain divided if young people are not told to say no to violence, Wong said.

The Liaison Office also condemned foreign politicians and organizations interference in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

The condemnation came after some United States and United Kingdom politicians and organizations objected to moves to enact national security laws as required under Hong Kong's Basic Law.

The Liaison Office rejected their claims that the Hong Kong protests were peaceful.

Kathy Zhang contributed to this story.