Hong Kong, Aug 1 (TIWN) The Hong Kong police have charged 44 people, including a 16-year-old girl and over a dozen students, with rioting after a protest during the weekend brought parts of the city to a standstill, amid a political crisis that shows little signs of de-escalating.

The court appearances come a day after violence erupted outside two police stations in the territory when officials revealed they had charged 44 people over the protests, further raising tensions in Hong Kong’s worst political crisis in decades.  While most of those who were charged with rioting were students, the variety of professions involved in the protests shows how many middle-class Hong Kong residents are also participating in the demonstrations.  All but one of the 44 people charged by police appeared before the court on Wednesday. Most were given bail conditions that included the payment of HK$1,000 ($128) bail, a travel ban and a nightly curfew from 12am to 6am.