Hong Kong airport shut down, flights canceled

Hong Kong airport has been shut and flights canceled due to protests.

Two police officers were seen pinning a black-clad protester to the concrete, one officer’s knee pressing the young man’s face into a pool of his own blood as he called out for help.

“I’ve already been arrested,” the man yelled. “Don’t do this, I’m begging you.”

The scene, captured Sunday night by a cameraman from news outlet Hong Kong Free Press, was jarring even in a city now accustomed to weekends awash with tear gas. It unleashed a fresh wave of anger toward Hong Kong’s police force, and the government more broadly, spurring thousands of protesters to respond by occupying the city’s airport on Monday.


By late afternoon, officials halted all departures, affecting tens of thousands of passengers at one of the world’s busiest international hubs.

After sitting in the arrivals hall for much of the day, many protesters began exiting the airport in the evening amid rumors on social media and messaging apps that police were preparing for a large clearance operation. The protesters, many dressed in black, streamed across the roads around the airport, bringing traffic to a near-standstill. Some travelers abandoned buses and taxis and wheeled bags through the traffic. Many said they were headed to a nearby bus station.