September 28, 2014: Hong Kong police fire tear gas as thousands join Occupy Central

Union leaders call for strikes as police defend hard-line response and Benny Tai admits protest movement’s leaders are not in control

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Police in riot gear fire tear gas at Occupy Central protesters in Connaught Road Central, Admiralty. Yesterday was the first time tear gas had been deployed by Hong Kong police since 2005. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Published: 4:30pm, 13 Jun 2022

This article was first published in the South China Morning Post on September 29, 2014. It has been republished online as part of Hong Kong 25, which looks at how the city has changed since the handover, and what its future holds.

By SCMP Reporters

The streets of Central and Admiralty descended into chaos last night after police in riot gear fired tear gas at protesters as the Occupy Central campaign, a movement that promised “peace and love”, escalated.

By midnight there was little sign of the mass protest ending. Thousands of protesters, despite police use of pepper spray, batons and tear gas, occupied the main roads outside the government headquarters complex in Admiralty. Many joined in after hearing of the confrontation from the media, and a smaller blockade began late last night in Causeway Bay, while hundreds occupied a section of Nathan Road in Mong Kok.

But Occupy co-organiser Dr Chan Kin-man urged the protesters to retreat. “It is a matter of life and death ... Retreating does not mean giving up ... Occupy Central has succeeded as long as the spirit of democracy never dies.”

He said it was time to plan the next step of the campaign.