Sept. 1 (UPI) — Protesters in Hong Kong barricaded roads on Sunday, shutting down transport to and from Hong Kong International airport for several hours.
The protesters carried out what they described as a “stress test” of the airport transportation routes blocking roads to and from the airport and causing the city’s subway operator to suspend its service to the airport.
Some travelers were forced to walk as far as eight miles to Sunny Bay while carrying their luggage.
All transport to and from the airport was shut down for hours until riot police cleared roads leading to the city.
Protesters then fled to the town of Tung Chung where they built more barricades and vandalized the subway station where service was also stopped.
Earlier Sunday, protesters also threw petrol bombs and set fires before being met by a response from police including tear gas, rubber bullets and a water cannon.
The Mass Transit Railway and the government issued statements condemning the violence and vandalism.
The 13th consecutive weekend of protests also included police firing water cannons and tear gas on Saturday as thousands of protesters defied a police ban and marched toward government offices.
The clashes started in June over an extradition bill that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China for trial. They became part of a larger pro-democracy movement demanding universal suffrage and investigation of police.
