Rival protesters face off in gritty dist of HK

More than a thousand rival protesters, some wearing helmets, faced off in a densely populated, gritty district of Hong Kong Saturday, fuelling concerns that the Chinese-controlled city's worst unrest in decades could take a more violent turn.
After a night of trouble which resulted in 19 arrests, supporters of the city's pro-Beijing government rallied next to pro-democracy protesters in Mong Kok, a working class neighbourhood near the popular shopping district of Tsim Tsa Shui, according to a news agency.
Many Hong Kong residents expressed anger and frustration at police handling of the unrest, with some accusing security forces of co-operating with criminal gangs, failing to make arrests and helping some attackers to exit the scene quickly.
"We condemn the violence used against Hong Kong civilians yesterday," said student leader Joshua Wong.
After a week of largely peaceful demonstrations demanding Beijing grant Hong Kong the unfettered right to choose its own leader, the mood turned ugly on Friday night in an area notorious for being the home of Triads.