Hong Kong police seek evidence of 'eye-shooting'; further use of tear gas not ruled out

In a press conference after Hong Kong authorities canceled all flights, a police spokesman has said that there is no evidence of showing that a black-clad female protester was shot in the eye during Sunday's violent protests but has vowed to investigate further. The police also did not rule out the use of tear gas at the airport although the crowd is now thinning. Some protesters have started to leave the airport and are heading towards Tung Chung. 

Hong Kong airport authorities canceled all remaining departing and arriving flights at the major travel hub on Monday. The decision came after thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators flooded into the airport holding signs reading "Hong Kong is not safe" and "Shame on police". "Airport operations at Hong Kong International Airport have been seriously disrupted as a result of the public assembly at the airport today," the statement said.

The official statement by Hong Kong authorities also asked the general public not to come to the airport.

China on Monday also slammed violent protesters in Hong Kong who had thrown petrol bombs at police officers and linked them to "terrorism", as Beijing ramps up its rhetoric against pro-democracy demonstrations in the financial hub.

"Hong Kong's radical demonstrators have repeatedly used extremely dangerous tools to attack police officers, which already constitutes a serious violent crime, and also shows the first signs of terrorism emerging," said Yang Guang, spokesman for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State council.

Chinese People's Armed Police Force is also reportedly assembling near Shenzhen, a city bordering Hong Kong, for "large-scale military exercises."