At least eight protestors were hurt when Hong Kong riot police used tear gas and water cannons on pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong on Sunday, the South China Morning Post reported. Three of the protestors are in a serious condition, three have been discharged and two are are said to be stable.

Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets on Sunday, without police permission, AFP reported. The protests have now entered its 15th straight week.

However, violence erupted when some protestors attempted to attack the city’s main government complex. Molotov cocktails and rocks were thrown over the gates of the complex, leading the police to respond with tear gas and water cannons.

Protestors also gathered outside the British consulate in Hong Kong, waving the Union Jack and the Hong Kong flag from the colonial period. They also sang “God Save The Queen”, the national anthem of Britain. The United Kingdom gave up its right on Hong Kong to China in 1997, under a condition that Hong Kong is allowed to keep its autonomy for 50 years.

“Sino-British Joint Declaration is VOID,” read a poster, referring to the 1984 agreement that paved the way for the city’s handover to China. “So far, I’m quite disappointed by the fact that the UK hasn’t done anything to support us,” ALex Leung, a protestor, told AFP.

The protests have continued despite Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam withdrawing an extradition bill that sparked the protests in June and paralysed the city. Protestors have accused China of tightening its grip on the region and throttling democracy.

On September 8, protestors marched to the United States consulate in an attempt to bring an international spotlight on the political crisis. They called on American politicians to support their cause, waved US flags and shouted slogans such as “Fight for freedom! Stand with Hong Kong!”

Last month, Beijing claimed that criminals and agitators were stirring violence, encouraged by foreign powers such as Britain and the United States.

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