China warns Hong Kong protesters not to 'play with fire'

A demonstrator throws a traffic cone at a group of people opposing the anti-government protesters, during a demonstration in support of the city-wide strike and to call for democratic reforms in Hong Kong, China

Radical protesters in Hong Kong must not mistake China’s restraint for weakness, China’s Hong Kong affairs office said on Tuesday, vowing that the “violent criminals” pushing the city toward a “dangerous abyss” would be brought to justice.

Hong Kong has suffered weeks of sometimes violent protests that began with opposition to a now-suspended extradition law, which would have allowed suspects to be tried in mainland courts.