Halloween in Hong Kong brings havoc, protesters target party district

Halloween celebrations took a turn in pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong where a 'surreal' mix of demonstrators and costumed partygoers made it difficult for the police officials to manage the crowd. On October 31, amidst the violent protests and the emergency restrictions in the city, the residents, tourists, and expatriates drank cocktails, chugged beers and danced in popular party districts in central areas of the city. However, on the other hand, at a short distance, there were protesters who flooded the streets while chanting “Gangster” against 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.

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Unrest continues unabated

Even after the official withdrawal of the extradition bill and efforts of Hong Kong police officials, the protests are continuing unabated. Especially since the latest unrest that has disrupted life in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory in June. The black-clad masked protesters reportedly barricaded the streets at multiple locations in Kowloon where the subway operator had restricted passenger access. Reportedly, a firebomb was also tossed at one of the subway stations. In addendum to growing violence, the protesters tore off stones from the sidewalk and scattered them on the road, commandeered the safety barriers and even unscrewed metal railings to form the makeshift roadblocks. 

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(With AP inputs)