Chinese state media takes down Hong Kong curfew tweet, cites "insufficient information"

A Chinese state media reportedly deleted a tweet saying that the Hong Kong government was expected to announce a weekend curfew but later the editor of the media outlet claimed that there wasn't sufficient information to back the report. The Hong Kong Police spokesperson further said that he was not in a position to comment on rumours of a curfew because the decision rested with the territory's chief executive, Carrie Lam. However, he added that any new measure that could help the police to achieve the goal of restoring public safety and order in Hong Kong is welcomed.

"I just checked how the information was obtained. My conclusion is that the information is not sufficient to support this exclusive news," Hu tweeted after the original tweet was deleted. 

The anti-government protestors in Hong Kong have brought the city to a standstill. The protestors have set ablaze vehicles and buildings, pelted petrol bombs at police stations and trains and damaged shopping malls over the last week in some of the worst instances of violence seen in more than five months of turmoil. 

READ: Hong Kong: City-wide Protests Continue For Fourth Consecutive Day

Protesters block roads

The masked protestors and varsity students continued to block important roads which include the entrance to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel that connects Hong Kong island with the Kowloon area and a highway between Kowloon and the rural New Territories. Riot police fired tear gas near the tunnel early on Thursday to disperse the protestors. According to the international media reports, it impacted not just the university but also the general public. Scores of students barricaded themselves inside campuses of several universities, with a makeshift shield to cover themselves up, blocking the entrances and occupying surrounding roads by bricks, petrol bombs, and other makeshift weapons as they expected possible clashes with police. The commuters were stranded at Metro stations after a few rail services were suspended and 15 stations were shut down.

READ: Hong Kong Endures More Transit Disruptions, More Violence

Police actions condemned

The chaotic scenes of the explosion, gun fires, smoke plumes left scores of students injured. The police said the protestors hurled debris and petrol bombs in a nearby highway linking the Northern New Territories with Kowloon, bringing traffic to a halt in a haze of tear gas smoke. The lawmakers of the city condemned the actions of the police and said that the continuous firing of tear gas has turned the university campus into a battlefield. Tensions initially escalated due to the death of a young man who fell from a multi-story car parking during the clashes with the police. 

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READ: Hong Kong Protest Take A Violent Turn: Tear Gas And Rubber Bullets Used Against Protestors