Chinese police hold drills near Hong Kong border
China's paramilitary People's Armed Police continued to hold drills in Shenzhen across the border from Hong Kong, fueling speculation that they could be sent in to suppress the protests.
Officers could be seen exercising inside a sports stadium, and dozens of army-green armored carriers and trucks were parked in and outside the facility. Chinese state media said that the Shenzhen exercises were planned earlier and were not directly related to the unrest in Hong Kong.
However, speculation arise as they came shortly after the central government in Beijing said the protests were beginning to show the "sprouts of terrorism."
Hong Kong kicked off another weekend of protests with thousands of schoolteachers marching to the official residence of the city's leader earlier Saturday. Another protest was held in a district on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour, and a counter-rally backing the government at Victoria park.
This would be the 11th consecutive weekend where protests were held in the Chinese territory, demanding the Hong Kong Chief Executive's resignation, democratic elections and an independent investigation into police use of force.
The protests began as opposition to a now-suspended extradition bill but have since grown to include broader demands. Demonstrators say they are fighting the erosion of the "one country, two systems" arrangement that enshrined some autonomy for Hong Kong since China took it back from Britain in 1997.
A rally in Victoria Park has been called for Sunday by a pro-democracy group that has organised three massive marches through central Hong Kong since June.
(Source: Agencies)
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