More than 330 were arrested over the Christmas holidays in Hong Kong, as another round of anti-Beijing protests rocked the Asian financial market capital.
Chief police spokesman Kwok Ka-chuen said Friday those arrested between Monday and Thursday included 92 women and minors as young as 12, according to FOX News.
Riot police were deployed Thursday in Hong Kong in the third straight day of protests aimed at disrupting the retail and business districts.
»MORE: Riot police deployed as tear gas stains Hong Kong over Christmas
The “shopping protests” targeted malls on Christmas Eve in the Chinese-ruled city.
On Tuesday, police fired tear gas into crowds to disperse demonstrations in commercial areas filled with shoppers and tourists and near the historic Peninsula Hotel. Riot police and tactical units were joined by a water cannon vehicle and two armored cars.
Protests began in Hong Kong more than six months ago in response to a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party.
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They have since evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement. Pro-democracy candidates overwhelmingly won District Council elections earlier in December.
Demonstrators are angry at what they perceive as increased meddling by Beijing in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
China denies interfering, saying it is committed to the “one country, two systems” formula put in place at that time, and blames foreign forces for fomenting unrest.
The government, in a separate statement Thursday, criticized “unprecedented violence” and vandalism committed by some protesters, and said that, despite the months of social unrest, freedoms and human rights remained a top priority.
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