Reuters, HONG KONGScuffles erupted between police and protesters in Hong Kong yesterday, with dozens of arrests made, after thousands marched near the border with China, shouting pro-democracy slogans and venting their anger at mainland Chinese traders. The demonstrators in Sheung Shui took aim at so-called “parallel traders” from China who buy vast amounts of duty-free goods in Hong Kong and take them back to the mainland to sell at a profit. Locals have said that it pushes up prices, overcrowds neighborhoods and adds to growing tensions between Hong Kong residents and mainland Chinese. After the march ended, protesters dressed in black and wearing masks remained in the area, despite calls from organizers to disperse immediately. The protest movement is supported by 59 percent of the territory’s residents polled in a survey conducted for Reuters by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute.
