This archive report was first published on 27 October 2019.
On Sunday, October 27, 2019, Hong Kong police officers fired tear gas and fought with antigovernment demonstrators in the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district, marking a fresh escalation of tensions in the city.
The protest, which was unauthorized, came a day after a local court issued a temporary order banning the public from harassing police officers, a tactic known as 'doxxing.'
Police officers in riot gear were deployed in the area, and they eventually began tussling with protesters and firing tear gas and pepper spray. Some people were seen choking on tear gas inside the lobby of a luxury hotel.
As of 4 p.m., groups of officers in full riot gear were patrolling the area. The police force said on Twitter that protesters had attacked some officers with umbrellas and 'hard objects.'
The rally was a show of solidarity with the city's ethnic minorities, who have been targeted by police violence and harassment. The police force has received reports of hundreds of officers or their family members being harassed after they were doxxed.
Doctors and nurses have also criticized the police for their handling of the protests, condemning recent arrests of medical professionals working on the front lines.
Protesters have encouraged residents to shop and eat at businesses that support their pro-democracy movement, some of which now display 'authentication' stickers.
