HONG KONG, China — Fierce clashes broke out between protesters and riot police in Hong Kong Sunday as thousands marched through the strife-torn city, during a day of global protests aimed at casting a shadow over communist China's upcoming 70th birthday. But ongoing unrest in Hong Kong threatens to upstage those celebrations as the semi-autonomous city boils with public anger over the erosion of its special freedoms under Beijing's rule. Democracy activists in the financial hub had vowed to ramp up their nearly four-month-long campaign ahead of Tuesday's National Day celebrations, which Hong Kong protesters have dubbed a "Day of Grief". But the tear gas police fired only emboldened the crowds, who then began walking through the streets in the thousands. Police spent hours firing tear gas and rubber bullets at different downtown locations and made multiple arrests throughout the day.

Source: Philippine Star September 29, 2019 20:15 UTC