HK freedoms threatened by protesters' Xinhua rampage

Earlier, Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Ltd applied to the High Court for an interim injunction banning rioters' assaults on its employees and damage to property when its staff cover the anti-government protests.

The Hong Kong News Executives' Association issued a statement condemning the vandalizing of the Xinhua bureau, urging police to undertake strict measures to ensure the normal operation of news organizations.

Qiu Hong, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR, also voiced her objection after a public event on Sunday.

Citing a commentary in People's Daily, Qiu said that unlawful conduct targeting news agencies is intolerable in any country. She expressed firm support for police containing the violence and restoring social order, and she called for the public to make concerted efforts to help restore calm.

Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told China Daily that the attack on Xinhua is an escalation of the rioters' repeated acts of destruction at enterprises and organizations with strong ties to the Chinese mainland.