Hong Kong
police fired tear gas a few minutes into 2020 as pro-democracy
protesters marked the New Year with midnight countdown rallies and a massive march planned for January 1.
![Police fire tear gas as Hong Kong rings in New Year](http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/465c839ec4a731a947397a5f1063ee19c092721c.jpg)
The city has been battered by more than six months of unrest with marches attended by millions, as well as confrontations in which police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets -- and protesters have responded with petrol bombs.
Smaller crowds of protesters in the Mong Kok district set
fire to barricades, before riot police unleashed 2020's first volleys of tear gas in response.