HONG KONG—Hundreds of police officers descended on a recently occupied road and tunnel here, tearing through barriers and meleeing with pro-democracy protesters, until they had forced the crowd back to the position it had occupied this afternoon.
The action was a stern and swift reprisal to the seizure, just hours previously, of a crucial road that connects Hong Kong island with the broader Hong Kong city, including Kowloon and the mainland. Police weapons of choice included bolt cutters, screams, shields, pepper spray, and swinging batons.
The point of confrontation moved to Lung Wo road late in the evening on Tuesday, as protesters launched a surprise attack and set up obstructions, in reprisal against police removing them from the other key highway known as Queensway on Tuesday morning.
Then, at about 3 a.m., police swooped in.
