Hong Kong: Attacker bites politician's ear, stabs several people

The five-month-long anti-government protesters in Hong Kong took a violent turn on November 3, when a knife-yielding man slashed several people and bit off part of an ear of a pro-democracy politician. To contain the riot which has recently witnessed an escalation in intensity, the police authorities had to storm several malls. Outside one of the complexes, Cityplaza on Hong Kong Island, the attacker told all his victims that Hong Kong belongs to China and injured them. According to local media footage, the man can be seen biting the ear of district councilor Andrew Chiu who was trying to stop the man from leaving after the stabbing. However, before the police arrived, the mob had severely beaten up by the attacker. 

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Government condemns

Five people were reportedly hospitalized in the recent attack out of which, two are in critical condition. The Hong Kong government condemned the incident and urged the people to stay rational while setting aside their political differences. According to the spokesperson of the government, the demonstrators said that the people should abide by the law and not resort to vigilantism. The attack came in the evening after an online call for protests at different locations to push the government for reforms. 

Read - Xinhua News Agency Condemns Violent Behaviour Of Hong Kong Protesters

Protests planned at 7 locations

On Sunday, the protesters were urged to gather at seven different locations, which included the mall, when the attack took place. However, most of the demonstrations reportedly did not pan out because of the police taking positions to search and arrest people. The Hong Kong police dispersed the crowds by blocking access to the park next to Carrie Lam, the city leader's office. Protesters were chanting slogans at the New Town Plaza shopping mall in Sha Tin. Protestors moved in only after 'masked rioters' vandalized the turnstiles with fire extinguishers and smashed windows at the subway station which was linked to the mall. In the two malls in which the demonstrators gathered, shops were destroyed along with attacks on Japanese food chain Yoshinoya. The chain has been attacked several times due to the owner's voiced support for the Hong Kong police. 

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China vows to prevent foreign powers

A day after Halloween, China has vowed to prevent foreign powers from interfering in the affairs of Hong Kong unrest and will carry out acts of “separatism, subversion, infiltration, and sabotage”. Beijing is planning on establishing a strong legal system and enforcement mechanism in order to safeguard national security in Hong Kong. It has been more than five months since the violent protests have roiled the city due to anti-government rallies. Furthermore, a Chinese official said that they will not allow any behavior which poses challenges to the 'one country, two systems' policy which binds China and Hong Kong.

Read - China Says 'won't Tolerate National Security Threats In Hong Kong'

(With AP inputs)