and it's continued ever since.

00:00:11,260 --> 00:00:14,559 But it may now have reached a critical turning point.

There are two new developments.

First, growing violence and a sense of chaos in the streets.

00:00:24,460 --> 00:00:27,100 Second, an increasingly harsh tone

from the authorities in both Hong Kong and Beijing.

The shocking recent footage of a demonstrator

being shot in the chest by a policeman

and of a pro-Beijing counter -demonstrator being

doused in petrol and set alight have gone around the world.

After many months in which violence has been very limited

these alarming new developments have increased the sense

that events are now spiralling out of control.

The demonstrations, which used to take place on weekends

and did little to disrupt normal life,

are now spilling over into the week.

The atmosphere in Hong Kong is increasingly

anarchic with vandalism and disruptions

to public transport on the rise.

The violence, as well as increasing problems

on the public transport system, has led the Hong Kong police

to warn that the city is 'on the brink of chaos'.

But the police themselves are deeply

controversial with the demonstrators.

Carrie Lam, the city's chief executive

is using harsher language.

00:01:33,380 --> 00:01:35,759 And Beijing's spokesman on Hong Kong affairs

has called for the introduction of a new national security

law in Hong Kong and more patriotic education, measures

which would further outrage the pro-democracy forces

in the territory.

All eyes will now be on local elections on November the 24th

where there are a number of pro-democracy candidates

running.

But there must be a risk that the situation in Hong Kong

will boil over even before the vote takes place.