Atom Araullo and team get hit by tear gas during Hong Kong protest coverage

Atom Araullo and his team were hit by tear gas while covering the mass protest in Hong Kong last weekend.

In his report on Stand For Truth Monday, the renowned journalist and his team followed the protests in Hong Kong as citizens young and old gathered together to fight for their autonomy and democratic rights.

During a protest, police officers threw tear gas and shot rubber bullets against the protesters.

Escaping the chaos, Atom said, "Pumutok sa harap ko yung tear gas."

According to Atom, "It can get quite painful especially upon direct exposure, but the team was equipped with gas masks. After a while you get used to the sting until it dissipates completely."

He also pointed out that everybody at the protest site, including the press, "had to bear with the constant use of tear gas by the police to disperse the crowd. It’s something one expects covering an event like this."

This has been the scene in Hong Kong as citizens gather in the streets to protest against the controversial extradition bill and against the perceived encroachment to their autonomy.

A citizen from Hong Kong told Atom, "We are self defense force of Hong Kong, we want to protect our citizens."

"Last Sunday, there was a terrorist attack in Yuen Long. The white guys attacked and assaulted our people and the police don't care," he added.

In his report, Atom observed how organic the coming together of protesters was. And speaking to GMA News Online, the journalist said there was a strong sense of camaraderie among them. 

"Although it seems they have varied political views, they are being galvanized by what they perceive as a threat to their basic freedoms in Hong Kong. It was not uncommon to see demonstrators offering assistance to each other. Some were handing out masks, helmets, food, and water, while others organized themselves into impromptu “self-defense” and first aid teams. When a few get overwhelmed by tear gas, they would fall back and their comrades would come to their assistance with saline water," shared Atom.

The second part of his report on Hong Kong goes live tonight. Watch for it. — LA, GMA News