In Hong Kong, tens of thousands of protesters defied a ban on face masks Saturday and marched through a pouring rainstorm as the prohibition took effect. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam ordered the ban as part of a widening crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations that erupted last spring.

Protester: “Carrie Lam is trying to use the ban to keep us from coming out. I want to tell her that this is counterproductive. She’s just targeting the symptoms, but not the root causes. She is suppressing our right to express ourselves, and this will only push us further.”

Police declared the assembly unlawful, firing tear gas and charging with batons. Some demonstrators responded by throwing bricks and gasoline bombs.