Hong Kong riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets late Sunday to disperse pro-democracy protesters who again filled the streets of the Chinese territory.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators protested for the seventh straight weekend, with some defacing the Chinese national emblem on Beijing's liaison office. Some threw eggs at the building and spray-painted surrounding security cameras.

Acrid clouds of tear gas enveloped the territory's dense commercial district.

The protests have morphed from a call for an end to the now-suspended bill to extradite Hong Kong residents charged with criminal offenses to China for trial into demonstrations for democratic reforms and an end to Beijing's tighter grip on the territory. Many shouted, "Liberate Hong Kong!"

It is the worst social turmoil to rock the former British colony since it returned to Chinese rule 22 years ago.

Millions have rallied over the past two months, with Sunday's chaos following a familiar pattern, a huge peaceful protest that evolved into a night of clashes between police and more hard-core groups.

Hong Kong's embattled leader, Carrie Lam, has apologized for the turmoil the extradition bill has caused and declared it "dead."

Source : VOA