Rioters condemned for vandalizing Xinhua HK office

Journalist associations joined Xinhua News Agency in condemning rioters for vandalizing the agency's Asia-Pacific Bureau office on Saturday as Hong Kong entered its 22nd week of violent protests.

A spokesperson for Xinhua urged Hong Kong police to conduct a vigorous investigation into the incident.

Rioters destroyed the office building's security facilities, spray-painted insulting messages on the outer walls and smashed the front gate and some of its windows. They also threw firebombs into the building's lobby.

The rioters' violent acts showed that "stopping violence, curbing chaos and restoring order" is the most important and urgent task for Hong Kong, said the spokesperson for the agency.

The Hong Kong Federation of Journalists, representing some 1,000 journalism practitioners in Hong Kong, also lashed out at the acts of violence targeting Xinhua News Agency.

The attacks launched by rioters were a serious provocation to the state media and a wanton violation of the freedom of the press in Hong Kong, the federation said.

It urged the police to go after the rioters and ensure a normal, safe and stable working environment for news organizations and journalists.

Hong Kong News Executives' Association also issued a statement of condemnation, urging the police to take strict measures to ensure the normal operation of news organizations.

Hong Kong was battered by a fresh round of violence across the city on Saturday.

A innocent resident was assaulted by a group of rioters in Mong Kok and was left bloodied and prostrate on the ground. He was also stripped off his clothes in front of the public.

The police arrested five people for possession of offensive weapon and seized around 100 petrol bombs during an operation.

A Hong Kong government spokesman said the rioters' conducts were "outrageous and deserve the strongest condemnation."

In a statement issued Saturday night, the spokesman said the radicals caused grave inconvenience to residents and threatened public safety, adding that the police action to disperse and arrest suspected offenders was necessary as public safety must be guaranteed and the rule of law must be upheld.