Hong Kong marked
Christmas Eve with tear gas, petrol bombs and mall clashes on Tuesday night as battles between democracy activists and riot
police swept through a major shopping district.
Thousands of black-clad
protesters -- some wearing Santa hats and reindeer antlers -- took to the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, a usually bustling tourist district.
Clashes soon erupted, with riot police firing multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse protesters throughout the evening, including outside the famous Peninsula Hotel.