Two day after a massive, 1+ million protest took place in Hong Kong, with demonstrators demanding the end to a proposal allowing extraditions to China, a follow up protest took place with thousands of people blocking local streets, and Hong Kong police defended the use of tear gas and rubber bullets to control a "riot situation" after protesters tried to storm the chamber where lawmakers were expected to take up - and pass - the controversial bill.

As we noted last night, a repeat protest erupted early on Wednesday, and it only got worse as the day progressed as  demonstrators - many of them clad in goggles, face masks and helmets -fled to different areas, running through plumes of smoke - threw bricks, bottles and umbrellas at riot police guarding the city's Legislative Council; they dragged metal barriers and linked arms across roads surrounding government headquarters, in scenes reminiscent of the 79-day street protests that paralyzed parts of downtown Hong Kong in 2014.