NEOLIBERAL protests continued in Hong Kong today, buoyed by recent local election results, and as activists heaped praise on US President Donald Trump.

Prominent anti-communist figurehead Joshua Wong thanked the US for passing a so-called “human rights Bill” protecting those involved in violent rioting that has rocked Hong Kong for nearly seven months.

Proposed by right-wing Senator Marco Rubio — who has a long history of pressing for regime change in Latin America — the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act has been slammed as US interference in China’s internal affairs.

It allows sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials for alleged human rights abuses in Hong Kong and an annual review of Hong Kong’s trade status, and bans the export of certain non-lethal munitions to the territory.

Mr Wong is pressing for similar measures to be taken by other Western governments, including former colonial ruler Britain.

He and other protesters demanded US sanctions on a number of Hong Kong officials, including Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Her predecessor CY Leung doubted whether those proposing the Bill “ever had the interest of Hong Kong in mind,” with the city being used as “a proxy for China” and leverage in an ongoing trade war.

Chinese authorities hit back, warning that the US would face countermeasures. They suggested that Mr Rubio could be banned from entering mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Macau.

Hong Kong police discovered a huge weapons cache today as they cleared the Polytechnic University campus, where around 1,000 people had holed themselves up during the protests.

They fired arrows at police during the stand-off. More than 4,000 petrol bombs were discovered, along with 1,339 explosive items and 573 weapons.