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44 People Charged with Rioting in Hong Kong

Suzanne Sataline

   HONG KONG - Prosecutors in Hong Kong have charged 44 people with
   rioting following an unauthorized protest Sunday that led to a violent
   confrontation with police.

   Those arraigned Wednesday included an airline pilot, a teacher, a nurse
   and a couple who were carrying an injured teen when they were arrested.
   The defendants face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. One
   defendant failed to appear in court, so the magistrate in Eastern
   District Court issued a warrant for that person's arrest.

   Each defendant stands accused of joining the standoff that unfolded
   after officials refused to allow the protesters to march in Hong Kong
   Island's western district. The event was billed as an action against
   gangs of people who recently beat dozens of people in a suburban town
   as bystanders begged police for help. The protesters called for an
   independent investigation into claims that police used excessive force
   at demonstrations.

   Wearing masks and holding umbrellas, demonstrators blocked a road in a
   commercial district. Some protesters held wooden shields and hurled
   bricks while others made barricades using bamboo poles and road signs.

   For hours, police pushed back the crowd and fired multiple rounds of
   tear gas and sponge bullets. Dozens of injuries were reported.
   

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