Thousands protest mask ban as HK leader toughens

HONG KONG -- Defiant masked protesters rampaged, police fired tear gas, and a teen was wounded by gunfire hours after Hong Kong's embattled leader banned masks at rallies, invoking rarely used emergency powers to quell four months of anti-government demonstrations.

Challenging the ban, which went into effect Saturday, thousands of protesters crammed streets in the central business district and other areas, shouting "Hong Kong people, resist!" Two activists filed legal challenges on grounds the ban would instill fear and curtail freedom of speech, but a court denied their request for an injunction.

Pockets of angry protesters attacked Chinese bank outlets and shops, vandalized subway stations and set street fires, prompting police to respond with tear gas in many areas. An officer fired a live shot in self-defense after he was attacked by protesters in the northern Yuen Long district, the government said in a statement.

A police official, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the news media, said a 14-year-old boy was wounded, but he couldn't say whether the teen was shot by the officer or hit by a stray bullet. The teen is the second victim of gunfire since pro-democracy protests began in June, three days after an 18-year-old protester was shot by a riot police.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam told a news conference Friday the mask ban, imposed under a colonial-era Emergency Ordinance last used more than half a century ago, would be "an effective deterrent to radical behavior."

"We must save Hong Kong -- the present Hong Kong and the future Hong Kong," she said. "We must stop the violence. ... We can't just leave the situation to get worse and worse."

Lam said she would seek the legislature's backing for the ban later. She insisted the semiautonomous Chinese territory was not in a state of emergency but wouldn't rule out a further toughening of measures if violence continued. She dismissed suggestions she should resign, saying it would be unhelpful at a time when Hong Kong is in "a very critical state of public danger."

Face masks have become a hallmark of protesters in Hong Kong, even at peaceful marches, amid fears of retribution at work or of being denied access to schooling, public housing and other government-funded services. Some young protesters also wear full gas masks and goggles to protect against tear gas. Many are concerned their identities could be shared with the massive state-security apparatus that helps keep the Communist Party in power in mainland China, where high-tech surveillance including facial recognition technology is ubiquitous.

Lam's ban applies to all public gatherings, both unauthorized and those approved by police. It makes the wearing of any face coverings, including face paint, punishable by one year in jail. A six-month jail term could be imposed on people who refuse a police officer's order to remove a face covering for identification.

Masks will be permitted when wearers can prove they need them for work, health or religious reasons.