Shengjing hospital of china medical university, Hospital in Shenyang, China

It marks the first rioting charges pressed during the eight weeks of anti-government protests that have rocked the semi-autonomous Chinese city, and those found guilty face up to 10 years in jail.The protests started in early June against a now-shelved bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China. The protests have since evolved into a catch-all movement against the local government and are causing disruptions.The protesters are now demanding an independent inquiry into police action and resignation of the territory's Chief Executive Carrie Lam and democratic reform.Forty-three of the 44 people charged with rioting appeared on Wednesday at the Eastern Magistrates' Court, where the judge granted them bail, media reports said.One person did not present herself at court. The judge has issued an arrest warrant and she will no longer be eligible for bail.The charges, which follow arrests during violent clashes between police and protesters on Sunday, infuriated activists who have demanded that the government avoid using the term "riot" to refer to demonstrations.In a statement on Tuesday, the police accused pro-democracy protesters of "peace-breaching acts" and attacking police officers."They set up roadblocks by umbrellas, wooden planks, bamboo sticks and railing; removed pavement bricks, demolished roadside fences, damaged street signs and lamp-posts, and attacked police officers with lethal weapons, like bricks and sharpened iron rods," the statement said.On Sunday, protesters defied police orders and organised a demonstration in Chater Gardens and marched through the city centre. Many protesters were wearing black, the colour of the protest movement, and headed for the Chinese government's Liaison Office in the west of the city.There, in a largely residential area, the police and the protesters clashed. Riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters, who set a cart on fire and pushed it in the direction of officers.Because police had not permitted the march through the city, the protest became illegal the minute demonstrators left Chater Gardens.News of the charges prompted protests outside two police stations on Tuesday.Several hundred people gathered in the streets. The police used pepper spray to disperse them. One officer also appeared carrying a shotgun, which he pointed at protesters. The South China Morning Post reported that the gun had been loaded with bean bag rounds.( With inputs from IANS )

Shengjing Hospital Of China Medical UniversityFOLLOW

Shengjing hospital of china medical university, Latest News

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi met on Thursday here amid an unending trade war between the world's two most powerful economies. ...

In a thinly-veiled warning to pro-democracy protesters, China's Army in Hong Kong has released a three-minute video showing troops carrying out "anti-riot" exercises. ...

US President Donald Trump's trade war with China is backfiring and impacting the American economy, his former chief economic adviser Gary Cohn has said. ...

Indian women's hockey team player Gurjit Kaur said that they are upbeat and confident for the upcoming Olympic Test Event, slated to commence on August 17. ...

Vietnam has denounced Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, accusing it of conducting illegal oil exploration in the disputed territorial waters, a Vietnamese state-owned news portal said on Thursday. ...

The US and China will resume trade negotiations in Washington in September after the two countries discussed increasing Chinese purchases of US agricultural products in the latest talks in Shanghai, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednes ...

The Philippines on Wednesday lodged a fresh diplomatic protest with the Chinese authorities over two incidents in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, officials said. ...

The Hong Kong police have charged 44 people, including a 16-year-old girl and over a dozen students, with rioting after a protest during the weekend brought parts of the city to a standstill, amid a political crisis that shows little signs of de-esca ...