Britain bans sales of tear gas to Hong Kong after violence at protests

FILE PHOTO: Jeremy Hunt, a leadership candidate for Britain's Conservative Party, speaks during a hustings event in Birmingham, Britain, June 22, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain banned sales of crowd-control equipment such as tear gas to Hong Kong on Tuesday and called for an investigation after police clashed with demonstrators opposed to a bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial.

Millions of people have clogged the streets of the former British colony in recent weeks to rally against the bill, which would allow people to be extradited to the mainland to face trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party.