Protesters charged in violence following Hong Kong's new mask ban
Hong Kong invokes emergency measures to ban protesters from wearing masks. FBN’s Susan Li with more.
It was a violent weekend in Hong Kong as a ban on wearing masks at rallies led to a backlash that has thrown the semi-autonomous Chinese territory into deeper crisis.
Scores of people were arrested in violent clashes overnight.
Two protesters were reportedly shot, one in the chest and one in the leg. The shootings took place during skirmishes between police and protesters, accoridng to Reuters.
Two protesters were charged Monday with violating the facemask ban, which came into force Saturday under sweeping emergency powers aimed at quashing violence in the protests for more democratic freedoms.
A conviction under the mask ban is punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine. They were both released on bail pending trial.
Instead of deterring rioting and calming the anti-government demonstrations that have rocked the international financial hub for four months, the mask ban has led to more anger and redoubled the determination of both peaceful marchers and more radical protesters.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
The protest were sparked by a proposed law that would have allowed some criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial, but have since morphed into a larger anti-government movement.
Tens of thousands of masked protesters marched defiantly in the city center Sunday, but the peaceful rallies quickly degenerated into chaos at several locations as hard-liners again lobbed gasoline bombs, started fires and trashed subway stations and China-linked banks and shops. Police responded with tear gas in familiar skirmishes.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
The city's MTR network of subways and trains was entirely closed Saturday and partially reopened Sunday but was quickly targeted again by protesters. Most stations remained closed Monday amid fears of more protests.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.