Hong Kong's under-fire leader Carrie Lam said Tuesday she would not rule out accepting help from mainland
China in tackling increasingly violent pro-democracy protests.
Lam's decision last Friday to invoke colonial-era emergency powers -- not used for half a century -- to impose the ban sparked some of the most violent scenes since the crisis began, as hardcore
protesters trashed dozens of subway stations, vandalised shops with mainland China ties, built fires and blocked roads.
As much of the city returned to work after a three-day weekend, Lam told reporters that while she believes the city's authorities can cope with the unprecedented troubles, China could be called upon if the situation becomes "so bad".