Protesters block traffic on King's Road with metal railings near Tin Hau MTR station during an illegal assembly in Hong Kong, July 1, 2020. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong police arrested a 24-year-old man at the city’s airport in the early hours of Thursday on suspicion of attacking and wounding an officer during anti-government protests on Wednesday.

Police on Wednesday posted pictures on Twitter of an officer with a bleeding arm saying he was stabbed by “rioters holding sharp objects”

Police posted pictures on Twitter on Wednesday of an officer with a bleeding arm saying he was stabbed by “rioters holding sharp objects”. The suspects fled while bystanders offered no help, police said.

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Local media reported that the suspect was onboard a Cathay Pacific flight to London due to depart just before midnight when he was arrested.

 A witness said "around 10 minutes before take-off, three police vehicles drove towards No. 64 gate, outside the Cathay Pacific plane" and around 10 riot police ran up the bridge to the aircraft.

Local television Cable TV, citing a police source, said police received an anonymous call at 11.43 pm, 12 minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart, that the suspect was on his way to London. He bought a one-way ticket about two hours after the stabbing, the only purchase for that flight made on Wednesday, and arrived at the airport without luggage.

He held an expired British National Overseas passport, the source told Cable TV.

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Cathay Pacific did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Despite repeated warnings, the protesters on Wednesday refused to disperse and so the police had to fire tear gas and water cannon. Seven police officers were injured while on duty, according to police statements.

Police said they arrested 370 people during the illegal protests, including six males and four females on suspicion of violating the newly enacted law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

READ MORE: HK police make first arrests by invoking security law

With Reuters inputs