Police blast Kowloon mosque with water cannons loaded with blue dye, stairs & gate stained

The police clarified that it was unintended.

Mandy How | Zhangxin Zheng | October 21, 2019, 12:34 AM

Hong Kong protesters proceeded with a march on Sunday, Oct. 20 despite not having permission from the authorities to do so.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Kowloon to march against the anti-mask law.

Organisers from the Civil Human Rights Front originally halted their protest plans at Kowloon after failing to get the police's approval to do so.

But the demonstrators marched on, nonetheless.

At around 3pm, the protest descended into chaos as protesters threw Molotov cocktails, petrol bombs, and vandalised stores, MTR exits and Chinese banks, as well as erected makeshift barriers, Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported.

In response, riot police deployed water cannons, projectiles, and tear gas.

Among the affected areas were Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei, and Nathan Road — famed shopping districts in Hong Kong.

Kowloon mosque hit by blue dye

CNA reported that the police used water cannons blasting streams of blue-dyed water at Tsim Sha Tsui police station which was attacked by petrol bombs.

The blue-dyed water stains everything it touches, making it a tool used to identify frontline protesters.

It is also suspected that the water was mixed with an irritant, as those who had been hit developed coughs.

As the police passed by the Kowloon mosque, they released jets of dyed water in its direction.

The stairs and gate of the religious building were stained as a result, according to local media Stand News.

Many commenters online condemned the firing of blue dye at the religious site.

Some found it offensive and called it a "disrespectful" act.

Members of the public helped to clean up the mosque immediately, including protesters in the vicinity.

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The Chief Imam of Hong Kong, Mufti Muhammad Arshad, told the South China Morning Post that the interior of the mosque was not hit by the blue dye and believed that the mosque was not targeted by the police.

The police also released a statement in the evening to clarify that the spraying of blue-dye was "unintended".

It added that the police also reached out to the Muslim community leaders to show concern and clarify the situation.

Top image via @yinshi0907 on Twitter