A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday night the central government firmly supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and the police in safeguarding social security and punishing illegal and criminal activities in accordance with the law.

Spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks in response to the riot erupted in Mong Kok of Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Hong said in a statement that a riot plotted mainly by a local radical separatist organization rocked Mong Kok, Hong Kong on the early morning of Feb. 9.

Some mobs barricaded the street, set fires, damaged police cars, pelted police officers with bricks, and assaulted police officers who were knocked down to the ground, causing injury to 89 police officers and several journalists, he said in the statement.

The violence quickly subsided as the Hong Kong police took effective measures in a professional manner with restraint and in accordance with the law, Hong said.

"The Hong Kong society has universally expressed strong condemnation of the violence and voiced full support to the police," he said.

"Hong Kong is a law-based society. The Chinese central government believes and firmly supports the Hong Kong SAR government and the police in safeguarding social security, protecting Hong Kong residents and their property, and punishing illegal and criminal activities in accordance with the law, so as to maintain the overall stability of the Hong Kong society," said the spokesperson.

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