HONG KONG: Pro-democracy protesters on Sunday accused police of using excessive force against them after violent clashes in Hong Kong, as a senior politician said weeks of rallies have reached a "critical moment".
Police blamed radical activists for stirring up trouble after dozens of officers in riot gear pushed into a crowd of angry demonstrators in the Mong Kok district early Sunday, striking at them repeatedly with batons.Twenty people were injured in a fourth night of clashes between protesters demanding free elections for the semi-autonomous Chinese city, and police trying to restore traffic to the major Mong Kok thoroughfare which they have brought to a standstill.