Hong Kong police use tear gas to disperse protesters in city's Northwest

Police tweeted that a large group of protesters gathered around the Tin Shui Wai Police Station and threw stones at policemen thus "posing a serious safety threat to members of the public at scene."

"After repeated and futile warnings, in face of the situation, Police deployed tear gas and minimum force to disperse protesters outside the Tin Shui Wai Police Station," the police said.

The law enforcement agency urged the protesters to leave the area immediately, condemned the violence and warned residents of nearby houses to keep their windows closed and remain indoors.

On Monday morning, protesters blocked roads and rail traffic in a bid to prevent the residents from getting to work in the business districts of the city. The protests affected the operations of Hong Kong International Airport, in which only one runway remains functional.

Mass rallies erupted in Hong Kong in early June as the authorities were considering adopting a bill that would allow the autonomous Chinese city to extradite suspects to jurisdictions with which it did not have an extradition agreement, including mainland China. Pressured by the protests, the government indefinitely suspended the bill and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam issued a public apology. However, the protesters still demand the complete withdrawal of the extradition amendments and also call for investigations into the actions of police during previous protests.

Pro-government groups criticize the rallies and claim that such a large-scale disruption in all areas of business, from restaurants to aviation, will cause great damage to Hong Kong's international reputation, which used to boast its stability and world-class service. On Saturday, thousands gathered in Victoria Park to denounce the protests and express support for police.