‘It Doesn’t Matter If It’s Christmas’: Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Keep Up Protests

‘It Doesn’t Matter If It’s Christmas’: Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Keep Up Protests
Riot police stand guard next to a Christmas tree inside a shopping mall during a pro-democracy protest on Christmas Eve at Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong, China on Dec. 24, 2019. Tyrone Siu/Reuters
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HONG KONG—Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters marched through Christmas-decorated shopping centers on Dec. 25, chanting pro-democracy slogans and forcing one mall to close early, as police fired tear gas to disperse crowds gathering on nearby streets.

The protests have turned more confrontational over the festive season, though earlier in December they had been largely peaceful after pro-democracy candidates overwhelmingly won district council elections.