Violent clash between Hong Kong cops and street food vendors mars festive mood

Protesters prised bricks from the sidewalk to hurl at police, while others toppled street signs and set fire to rubbish bins in Mong Kok, a gritty neighbourhood ahead of the new Lunar Year festivities.

As many as 48 police were injured in the clashes, a spokeswoman said. TV channels showed police officers being beaten with poles and sticks. Many protesters and police were also shown with blood streaming down their faces. The police spokeswoman also said 24 protesters were arrested. 

The clashes broke out after police moved in to clear “hawkers”, or illegal vendors who sell local delicacies, trinkets and household goods from makeshift street side stalls. The hawkers, a common sight on Hong Kong’s bustling streets, quickly attracted a strong social media following under the hashtag #FishballRevolution. 

The narrow streets in and around Mong Kok were the scene of some of the most violent clashes during protests in late 2014 to demand greater democracy in the former British colony that returned to Beijing rule in 1997.