HONG KONG – Hong Kong police used tear gas to break up anti-government protests in a gritty industrial suburb today after some activists threw petrol bombs and bricks, as China freed a British consulate worker whose detention helped fuel tension. Four MTR subway stations were closed around Kwun Tong, a densely populated area of the Chinese-ruled city on the east of the Kowloon peninsula, but thousands packed the streets anyway, most carrying umbrellas against the sun.

Police used tear gas after some protesters threw Molotov cocktails and bricks and others tore up “smart” lamp posts equipped with surveillance cameras. Others had set up roadblocks with bamboo scaffolding.

It was the first use of tear gas in 10 days after a series of mostly peaceful demonstrations in the former British colony. The government said in a statement the protesters “posed a serious threat to the safety of everyone” at the scene. “After repeated warnings to the protesters went futile, police officers have deployed tear gas and minimum force to disperse protesters,” it said.

The airport and the roads and railways leading to it were operating normally despite plans by protesters to implement a “stress test” of transport links after weeks of unrest. The airport was forced to close for part of last week after protesters thronged the main terminal for several days, grounding around 1,000 flights and occasionally clashing with police.

The wider calls for democracy have plunged the city into an unprecedented crisis posing a direct challenge for Communist Party leaders in Beijing. Demonstrators say they are fighting the erosion of the “one country, two systems” arrangement that enshrines a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong since it was handed back from British to Chinese rule in 1997. (Agencies)