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Hong Kong protesters bomb subway station with Molotov cocktails

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters again took to the streets of Hong Kong Saturday, defying police warnings they were gathering illegally to express continued anger at what they believe is Beijing’s tightening grip on the city.

While the march was peaceful, protesters threw several Molotov cocktails inside a subway station. No one was injured but the Kowloon Tong station was severely damaged, Reuters reported.

Thousands of protesters, many young and wearing now-banned face masks, were marching in the Kowloon section at the time, though the demonstration was smaller than those seen in recent weeks. The ban makes wearing masks at rallies punishable by a year in jail.

“The protesters are participating in an unauthorized assembly, which constitutes an offense under the Hong Kong Laws. The police appeal to the protesters to stop all illegal acts and leave immediately,” police said in a statement.

The demonstrators are aiming to keep pressure on the city’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam to accept the demands of the protest movement and protect the city’s autonomy. Lam makes her annual policy address on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.