A Hong Kong protester was shot with a live round on Tuesday by police as clashes broke out across the city, posing a direct challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic.
A video posted online shows an injured protester lying on the ground in the Tsuen Wan area of the city, whilst another protester was being held down by a police officer.
The South China Morning Post and television reports said at least one person was wounded in the chest by police firing live rounds.
Fifteen people were wounded on Tuesday after a day of running clashes between police and protesters, with one person in critical condition, Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority said.
Police have not responded to requests for comment but have said they fired live rounds into the air in previous clashes.
The Chinese-ruled territory has been tense for weeks, with protests often turning violent, as authorities scramble to avoid activists spoiling Beijing’s birthday parade at a time when the central government is already grappling with a US-China trade war and a slowing economy.
