Central Kowloon, HK core business area, paralyzed by protesters

Center Kowloon, one of the busiest business districts in Hong Kong, was almost completely paralyzed since Saturday afternoon, as thousands of anti-extradition bill protesters ignored police warning, blocking major roads, and a critical cross-harbor tunnel in an illegal assembly.

The area – comprising Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok - is home to many luxury hotels, brand boutiques and posh restaurants that are the main attractions to locals and tourists alike.

On Saturday afternoon, protesters, many of them wearing face masks and helmets, deviated from their approved route, and spilled into main roads in Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui district around one and a half hours after the procession started at around 2:30 pm, causing obstruction to traffic and businesses nearby.

Later in the evening, the protesters launched guerrilla-styled attacks on several police stations in Kowloon.

At around 8 pm, a large number of protesters besieged the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station. They kept provoking police officers inside by hurling bricks at the station, spraying offensive words at outer wall, damaging a vehicle inside the station, and shouting insulting slogans.