A protester was shot in the chest during protests on Hoi Pa Street in Tsuen, Hong Kong. Video captured by student journalists at HKUSU’s Campus TV show an officer in riot gear firing a pistol at a protester during clashes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2019/10/01/hong-kong-police-shoot-protester-as-clashes-marr-chinas-national-day/ Other photos and videos shared from social media show first aid medics tending to a protester on the ground.

The use of live rounds marks a significant escalation in the crisis that has gripped the former British colony for the last four months. Police tactics and alleged brutality have become flash points of discontent in the city which up to now has only seen officers fire live rounds as a warning.

The demonstrations, some of the most violent since the start of the crisis, mark a direct challenge to the authority of President Xi Jingping and a spoiler on China’s birthday celebrations.