Despite Beijing Ordered Clampdown, Defiant Demonstrators Hit The Streets Of Hong Kong On Chinese National Day

Even as Beijing unveiled its biggest ever military parade on Tuesday (1 October) to celebrate 70 years of the Communist Party capturing power, Hong Kong braced for yet another day of massive protests as activists again took to the streets in what have become the largest anti-government protests on Chinese soil in three decades.

Even as the key local officials gathering in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to observe a flag-raising ceremony,  the protesters attempted to disrupt the National Day meeting, while also jamming traffic to the airport.

Scuffles broke out between League of Social Democrat activists and a group of people criticising their slogans. The police used pepper spray while trying to separate the two groups.

Earlier in the day a "black balloon flash mob" in Tsim Sha Tsui, which would involve popping balloons in protest against the flag-raising ceremony, was quickly quelled by the police. Police officers found the balloons in a private car and two trucks at around 4 am and arrested five people.

Ahead of citywide rallies on Tuesday afternoon, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Corporation has closed 11 stations. More than 25 shopping malls in different districts were also closed for safety reasons.

Hong Kong has emerged from 17 straight weekends of protest, triggered by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, which would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China.