Clashes as Police Try to Clear Hong Kong Protesters After Uyghur Support Rally

Police arrest a Hong Kong protester after a Chinese flag was removed from a flag pole at a rally in support of Xinjiang Uyghurs' human rights in Hong Kong, China on Dec. 22, 2019. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

HONG KONG—Hong Kong riot police pepper sprayed protesters to disperse crowds in the heart of the city’s financial district on Dec. 22 after a largely peaceful rally in support of China’s ethnic Uyghurs turned chaotic.

Dozens of police marched across a public square overlooking Hong Kong’s harbor to face off with protesters.