Police, protesters clash in New Year's rally in Hong Kong Hundreds of thousands of people have packed Hong Kong streets for an annual New Year's Day protest march as the monthslong pro-democracy movement extended into 2020 with further violenceHONG KONG -- Hundreds of thousands of people packed Hong Kong streets for an annual New Year's Day protest march as the monthslong pro-democracy movement extended into 2020 with further violence between police and demonstrators. The massive rally followed overnight clashes between police and protesters on New Year's Eve in a densely populated shopping district. Hong Kong toned down its New Year's celebrations amid the protests that began in June and which have dealt severe blows to the city's retail, tourism and nightlife sectors. Recent protests have drawn participants from across Hong Kong society, sometimes numbering more than 1 million and packing the downtown area from Victoria Park to the government office complex a short distance away. In his own New Year's address, Chinese President Xi Jinping referred to the protests, saying “Hong Kong's prosperity and stability is the wish of Hong Kong compatriots and the expectation for the people of the motherland."

Source: ABC News January 01, 2020 04:11 UTC