Police tear down barricades to reopen major road

Hong Kong

HUNDREDS of Hong Kong police used sledgehammers and chainsaws on Tuesday to tear down barricades erected by pro-democracy protesters near government offices and the financial centre, reopening a major road for the first time in two weeks.

Traffic flowed freely along Queensway Road after the protesters' obstructions were cleared but other major protest sites remained intact in the Admiralty and Mong Kok districts and pro-democracy demonstrators were defiant. "We will rebuild them after the police remove them," said protester Bruce Sze. "We won't confront the police physically."