Recent Hong Kong protests mark break from peaceful demonstrations

Hong Kong: The recent wave of Hong Kong protests marked a break from the peaceful demonstrations against the controversial extradition bill after a group of protesters smashed their way into the offices of the legislature and wrecked the building on Monday evening.
In a Tuesday morning (local time) press conference, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemned the violence and pledged to take necessary legal action, reported CNN.
“We saw two completely different scenes: one was a peaceful and rational parade… the other one was a heartbreaking, shocking, and law-breaking scene,” she said. “Nothing is more important than the rule of law in Hong Kong.” “I hope the community at large will agree with us that with these violent acts that we have seen, it is right for us to condemn it and hope society will return to normal as soon as possible,” she added.
Protesters removed metal fencing and smashed glass doors at the Legislative Council building, prompting the Council to issue a “red alert” for the first time in Hong Kong’s history, The Washington Times reported.
Videos broadcasted from inside the building by local television networks showed riot police standing behind metal shutters as protesters repeatedly slammed against them and tried to pry them open in an apparent effort to fully enter the government complex.