Hong Kong protesters apologise after violence in airport

Flights resumed at Hong Kong’s international airport on Wednesday as pro-democracy protesters apologised for demonstrations that shut down the global transport hub.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled on Tuesday after activists blocked the terminal and clashed with police in chaotic scenes that saw officers fire pepper spray and one draw his gun.

“It is not our intention to cause delays to your travels,” read a formal statement issued by protesters, “we ask for your understanding and forgiveness as young people in Hong Kong continue to fight for freedom.”

"After months of prolonged resistance, we are frightened, angry and exhausted," it continued. "Some of us have become easily agitated and over-reacted last night."

Security at the airport was tighter than usual on Wednesday and authorities had obtained an injunction preventing any further protests at the site, although there were doubts as to its efficacy.

Some entrances were closed and armed police patrolled by check-in counters in the departures hall.

Airlines were working to rebook thousands of stranded passengers after hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled this week after demonstrators flooded the departures terminal and arrivals hall.

A handful of demonstrators remained on Wednesdaybut operations otherwise largely returned to normal.

The protesters sat on the ground sharing snacks and waving posters, some of which apologised for the disruption.

The airport has been flooded by activists since last Friday as they argue it is the last safe refuge from tear gas, which cannot be fired inside without hitting foreign tourists.

Last weekend, violence escalated significantly when riot police fired tear gas into a subway station. “It is as a last resort that we have moved the protest to the airport,” demonstrators said in a statement.

“After months of prolonged resistance, we are frightened, angry and exhausted. Some of us have become easily agitated and over-reacted last night. For this we feel pained and dispirited and would like to express our most sincere apologies.”

British comedian Bill Bailey was caught up in the chaos with his family while on a layover from Bali back to London.

"I think the scale of protests is extraordinary," he told the Telegraph. "We've been coming to Hong Kong for over 20 years now; I've worked here, and we've never seen anything like it."

“Everyone’s been good natured, very polite, very respectful. Protesters came up to us and offered us food and drink, and said 'sorry you’ve had to wait,' and are constantly apologising for the inconvenience, hoping that we understand.”

g Kong is facing its worst political crisis since the former British colony was returned to Chinese rule. Millions first came to the streets against an extradition proposal that would have sent people to face trial in mainland China, where the Communist Party controls the courts.

Anger has risen steadily against city leaders for failing to make any concessions and the police for escalating crowd-control tactics, shooting tear gas, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds ending almost all protest in violence.

Beijing continues to seize on the chaotic scenes and again condemned the protesters Wednesday for “near-terrorism” at Hong Kong airport, denouncing them for “violent acts” after they surrounded two men, fuelled by suspicions that they were undercover police or spies.

It later emerged that one was a traveller at the airport, and the other, a reporter for China’s Global Times newspaper, a state media outlet controlled by the Communist Party.

China has ramped up its rhetoric of the protests lately, sending ominous signals that military and police officers were ready to deploy at a moment’s notice to restore order.

The ruling Communist Party government “is priming public opinion in China for a crackdown in Hong Kong,” said Anne-Marie Brady, a China scholar and professor at New Zealand’s University of Canterbury. “Despite many warnings, however, the government is holding back on its actions because it knows the international pushback on any intervention will be huge.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tweeted Tuesday: “Concerning to see what’s happening in Hong Kong and the worrying pictures of clashes between police & protesters at the airport. As I said to Carrie Lam during my call last week, we condemn the violence & encourage constructive dialogue to find a peaceful way forward.”

Both US president Donald Trump and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau have also commented on the protests in recent days.

And on Tuesday the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Hong Kong to exercise restraint and investigate evidence of its forces firing tear gas at protesters in ways banned under international law