Hong Kong riot police ‘withdrawn’ from protests – gov’t

Protesters take rest at a main road in the financial central district after riot police use tear gas against them as thousands of people blocked the road in Hong Kong, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014. AP

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s authorities announced Monday they were withdrawing riot police from the streets of the protest-wracked city in a major concession to pro-democracy demonstrators.

A statement posted on the government’s website read: “Because citizens gathered on the street have calmed, riot police have been withdrawn.”

The statement also called on protesters “to give up occupied roads as soon as possible for emergency vehicles to pass through and for the partial restoration of public transport services”.