Hong Kong police arrest 65 protesters

Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong police arrested 65 people over an intense weekend of anti-government protests.

The police said in a statement on Monday that a 12-year-old child was among those arrested.

The police charged the protesters with various offences including unlawful assembly, possession of an offensive weapon, and assaulting police officers.

The chaotic weekend saw protesters throw rocks and petrol bombs at riot police from behind barricades assembled on major roads in the Kowloon peninsula.

Late on Sunday, a  group armed with bamboo poles also clashed with riot police, prompting one officer to fire a warning shot with his service weapon.

Police, in turn, deployed a water cannon for the first time on protesters on Sunday and used extensive tear gas over the weekend in an attempt to disperse crowds.

According to Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority, a total of 48 people sustained varying degrees of injury over the weekend.

More than 830 people have been arrested since protests began on June 9.