Over 100 people were injured and police arrested nearly 200 during demonstrations in Hong Kong on Tuesday against China’s celebration of its 70th anniversary as a communist state. A Hong Kong Hospital Authority spokesperson confirmed to local public broadcaster RTHK that, as of Wednesday morning, 104 people had been hospitalized for injuries sustained during yesterday’s protests.
Those wounded included 81 men and 23 women, 29 of whom are now in stable condition. Two men remain in a critical condition and are receiving treatment at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital and Ruttonjee Hospital. Another 71 people have already been discharged.
The shocking number of injuries came as police announced that 269 people were arrested during the demonstration. Deputy Police Commissioner Tang Ping-Keung confirmed at a press briefing on Wednesday that 30 police officers were among the injured, blaming protesters for allegedly attacking them.
In a separate press briefing, Police Commissioner Stephen Lo said that the suspects were arrested on charges including rioting, unlawful assembly, possession of offensive weapons, and assaulting police officers. He added that it was “one of the most violent, chaotic days in the history of Hong Kong.”
