In Hong Kong, after relative calm for past one week since local elections, thousands protests followed by a march to the U.S. consulate apparently to show “gratitude” for US support for the demonstrations; Police uses tear gas and several arrested.

Hong Kong Police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters on Sunday, ending a rare lull in violence.

The protest in the busy shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui followed a march by hundreds of people to the U.S. consulate to show “gratitude” for U.S. support for the demonstrations that have agitated the Chinese-ruled city for six months.

Reacting on which, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet called for an investigation into alleged excessive use of force by police. China however dismissed her call as inappropriate interference in the country’s affairs.

Meanwhile, nearly six month long protest is pushing residents to seek new lives abroad, with many turning to nearby democratic Taiwan to escape the uncertainty at home. Taiwan has long attracted Hong Kongers seeking an alternative to their city’s frenetic pace and sky-high rents.