A pro-democracy rally in downtown Hong Kong has ended early amid sporadic violence, with
police firing tear gas and a water cannon after
protesters threw bricks and Molotov cocktails at government offices.
Police said in a statement that some "violent protesters" had damaged property outside the government buildings and aimed laser beams at a helicopter, posing "a serious threat to the safety of everyone" at the scene.
Protesters streamed onto a main road nearby and some targeted government buildings that were barricaded.