Hong Kong protests cripple airport for second day

The airport, which is one of the world's busiest, has been the site of daily protests since Friday.

Videos on social media showed passengers struggling to get through demonstrators, who were sitting inside and blocking departures.

Amid tense scenes, police and protesters clashed outside the airport.

The police, wearing riot gear and brandishing truncheons, are said to have deployed pepper spray to push protesters back.

• In pictures: Chaos as activists occupy terminal

In an ugly incident, young protesters mobbed a man they suspected was an undercover policeman and zip-tied his hands together. Paramedics struggled to treat the man amid a crowd of angry protesters before he was taken to hospital.

The editor of China's Global Times newspaper said the man was one of his reporters who was merely doing his job.

Hong Kong police have admitted deploying officers disguised as anti-government protesters during the unrest in the city.

The city's leader, Carrie Lam, earlier issued a fresh warning to protesters.

Ms Lam said Hong Kong had "reached [a] dangerous situation" and that violence during protests would push it "down a path of no return".

• How could China intervene in protests?
• The background you need on the protests
• Hong Kong protests in 300 words

Meanwhile, Chinese state media have published images of convoys of military police gathering in the border city of Shenzhen, says the BBC's Stephen McDonell, who is in Hong Kong.

US President Donald Trump said on Twitter that US intelligence had informed him of a deployment by "troops", adding: "Everyone should be calm and safe."

Read More (...)