HONG KONG, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- On a day that China put on a display of military might to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic, widespread protests in Hong Kong escalated to a new level of violence that saw police shoot a protester in the chest with a live round.
The victim, a high school student, was reported to be in critical condition by local media.
Video of the shooting, which shows an office firing at the protester's chest at close range, was captured by a number of sources, including the University of Hong Kong Student Union's Campus TV, which posted it on its Facebook page.
A statement from Hong Kong activist group Citizens Press Conference condemned what it called "the new heights of police heartlessness."
"[The police] have turned into an armed terrorist organization against its people," the statement, which was co-signed by political party Demosisto and other activist groups, read.
Clashes between protesters and police took place throughout the day and continued late into the evening in multiple locations throughout the city. Police forces deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds and made multiple arrests while protesters set fires and vandalized specific targets, such as subway stations and outlets of Chinese state-owned businesses such as the Bank of China.
According to the Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, 51 people were injured on Tuesday, including two in critical condition and two in serious condition.
Protesters defied a police ban on holding a rally and marched from Causeway Bay to the Central district, dressed in black and carrying black flags on what organizers called a day of mourning. Many threw joss paper, or "spirit money" traditionally burned for ancestors, to add to the funereal spirit of the march.
"Today is China's National Day, and we are marching to mourn their 70th anniversary," Lee Cheuk-yan, a former politician who was one of the organizers of Tuesday's march, told UPI. "For 70 years, [the Chinese government] has persecuted people and many have died. We are mourning for the dead and we will continue to fight for democracy."
On Tuesday morning, Chinese President Xi Jinping boasted in a speech that no force could hinder China's development.
"There is no force that can shake the foundation of this great nation," Xi said, according to an official translation of his address. "No force can stop the Chinese people and the Chinese nation forging ahead."
Xi reviewed a military parade of some 15,000 troops and a trove of the communist state's latest hardware including advanced hypersonic and intercontinental missiles.
"When we look at China's military parade, it shows us that they have nothing but brute force," said Lee. "They want to threaten us, but this march today without any permit shows the defiance of the people of Hong Kong."
Another protester, Wong Cheung, 70, said he didn't bother watching Beijing's display of might.
"I don't want to see it," said Wong. "We're not scared of them. We must fight for the future of Hong Kong."
Hong Kong's protest movement has entered its 18th week with little sign of fading. What began as a response to a proposed extradition bill that would have sent fugitive criminal suspects to mainland China has evolved into a movement looking to hold onto autonomy in legal and political affairs under Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" arrangement with Beijing.
The protesters have put forth five demands, which include not just the withdrawal of the extradition bill, but an investigation into police brutality during the demonstrations, amnesty for arrested protesters and direct elections to choose the city's politicians.
Protesters clash with police in Hong Kong
Protesters burn a sign celebrating the 70th anniversary of China during an anti-government rally in Hong Kong on Tuesday. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A massive crowd of protesters turned out for the rally. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Former politician Lee Cheuk-yan and other politicians and activists hold up five fingers to signify the five demands of their protest movement. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A family hands out folded paper doves, a symbol of peace, during a rally. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Graffiti reads "Hong Kong is Not China" during the rally on China National Day, which marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A protester runs from tear gas fired by police. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A protester runs from tear gas fired by police, who also used water cannons to disperse crowds. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A protester runs from tear gas fired by police. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A protester played the "Star-Spangled Banner" on the saxophone during a standoff with police. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A fire set by protesters burns on a Hong Kong street during a violent day of clashes. Protesters also vandalized specific targets, such as subway stations and outlets of Chinese state-owned businesses such as the Bank of China. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Police charge down the street during clashes with protesters. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A police officer yells at a citizen during an anti-government rally in Hong Kong on October 1, 2019. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A barricade of bricks and umbrellas is left behind by protesters. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Police hold a sign warning that they will fire tear gas during clashes with protesters. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Two days earlier, a protester is surrounded by a cloud of tear gas during an anti-government rally in Hong Kong on Sunday. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A protester picks up a tear gas cannister fired by riot police and runs with it. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Riot police fire tear gas. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Riot police arrest a protester after a violent confrontation during a rally. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Riot police arrest a protester. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A woman is upset while talking to riot police in the aftermath of a bloody confrontation with protesters. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A boy places an origami bird in a display that shows support for the anti-government protest movement. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
The paper birds were part of a large public display. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A protester places an origami bird on the display. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Medics tend to an injured protester after a violent clash with police. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A Starbucks is defaced by protesters at a rally. The coffee chain's franchise owner in Hong Kong has spoken out against the protests. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Protesters carry flags of the United Nations, Great Britain and other countries during an anti-government rally. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Police fire tear gas into a crowd of protesters. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A protester douses tear gas fired by riot police. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A fire set by protesters burns on a Hong Kong street. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A discarded umbrella rests in the middle of the street after a violent clash between police and protesters. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A fire set by protesters during an anti-government rally burns on the street. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Fliers taped to the ground ask passers-by to step on the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and others. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
A girl sits underneath an overpass during a protest rally that turned violent. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
Graffiti on a billboard in Hong Kong asks for democracy. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
