Hong Kong police warn against violent acts on New Year's Day

Chief Superintendent of Police Public Relations Branch Kwok Ka-chuen (2nd R) speaks at a press conference in Hong Kong, south China, Dec. 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

HONG KONG, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong police on Monday warned protesters not to commit violent acts in public events on the upcoming New Year's Day as a pro-violence poster was widely circulated on the Internet.

The police will not tolerate any violent act and will take resolute law enforcement action to protect life and property, Tsang Fan-hon, superintendent (operations) of Hong Kong Island, said at a press conference.

"If violent incidents happen, the police may suspend the demonstration ... and deploy a proper level of force to stop (violent acts)," he said.

Protesters have planned to gather at Victoria Park and then march toward Chater Road on Wednesday afternoon. A poster published in the name of the organizer of the protest incited participants to resort to violence, but the organizer denied any connections with it.

The police welcomed the clarification by the organizer and called on all residents to disassociate themselves from violence.

Rioters vandalized shops, trashed metro stations, threw petrol bombs in the streets, beat up passersby and attacked police officers.

Over the weekend, rioters went on a rampage in multiple shopping malls, trashing stores and assaulting shoppers. One even tried to snatch the gun of a police officer on Saturday, at one point almost pulling the trigger.

Police arrested 31 males and three females, aged between 13 and 50, for offenses including unlawful assembly and assaulting a police officer during the past two days.