ED JONES via Getty Images
［香港 １５日 ロイター］ - 香港警察は１５日未明、金鐘（アドミラルティ）付近の幹線道路を占拠していた民主派のデモ隊の一部を強制的に排除した。数百人の警官隊が催涙スプレーなどを使ってデモ隊を排除し、道路のトンネルを封鎖していたバリケードを撤去。抵抗した数人のデモ参加者が連行された。
地元メディアによると、４５人が逮捕された。
香港のテレビ局ＴＶＢが放送した映像では、警察が数分にわたって１人のデモ参加者を蹴ったり、殴ったりする姿が確認できる。
現時点で警察からのコメントは得られていない。
主に学生で構成される民主派デモ隊は、香港の完全な民主化と梁振英行政長官の辞任を求めて、幹線道路の占拠を続けている。
警察による一部の道路封鎖解除にもかかわらず、政府庁舎付近のデモ中心地では数百のテントが張られ、撤収の兆しは見られていない。
デモ発生当初に催涙ガスや警棒を使用したことを批判された警察は、これまで比較的控えめな対応をとってきた。ここ数日はバリケードの一部撤去に乗り出しており、１５日未明の強制排除は当局の忍耐が限界に達しつつあることを示している可能性がある。
デモ参加者の数は３週目に入り、ピークの約１０万人から大幅に減少しているが、なお数千人規模の強硬派が占拠を続けている。
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