A pro-democracy protestor was injured in Hong Kong on Tuesday after he was shot by a police officer with a live bullet, AFP reported. This is the first time a protestor has been shot during the unrest and protests that have rocked Hong Kong for several months. So far, the police forces were using rubber bullets and tear gas.
“An officer discharged his firearm after coming under attack and a protestor was struck in the chest in Tsuen Wan district today,” an unidentified police official told AFP. The official added that the protestor was given first aid and then moved to the Princess Margaret Hospital.
Clashes broke out across Hong Kong on Tuesday as Beijing celebrated the 70th anniversary of the formation of the People’s Republic of China. Thousands of people marched through central Hong Kong, while there were demonstrations at other places too. The protestors have said this anniversary of communist rule should be a day of grief and mourning.
The protests have continued despite Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam withdrawing an extradition bill that sparked the unrest in June and paralysed the city. Protestors have accused China of tightening its grip on the region and throttling democracy.
A spokesperson from the Hospital Authority – the organisation that manages hospitals across Hong Kong – said that 15 people were injured in Tuesday’s clashes. She said they were admitted to hospitals across the city and that one person in Princess Margaret Hospital was critical. It is, however, not yet clear if this person is the man who was shot.
Some unconfirmed images and videos on social media showed the man lying on the ground and seeking help. “Send me to hospital, my chest is hurting. I need to go to hospital,” he was heard saying, according to the Guardian.
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