After nine straight and increasing chaotic weeks of anti-government protests in Hong Kong,... the mainland Chinese government seems to have had enough,... issuing a stern warning to the protesters.
Beijing has urged them among others things to not mistake China's restraint for weakness.
For more on this and other news from around the world, let's turn to our Kim Da-mi.
So Da-mi, tell us more about China's ominous warning.
Mark, Beijing has made it clear that protesters in Hong Kong should stop playing with fire, adding if they continue to cause trouble and clash with police they will eventually be punished.
"We would like to make a clear warning to the very small group of unscrupulous and violent criminals and the dirty forces behind them. Those who play with fire will perish by it."
The spokesman for China's top policy office in Hong Kong issued the warning on Tuesday during a news conference in Beijing.
He called anti-China forces "the behind-the-scene masterminds" of violence in the city.
However, he noted that "some misled but well intentioned" citizens were caught in the middle of the unrest.
The spokesman highlighted China's confidence that the Hong Kong government and police are fully capable of punishing violent criminals according to the law and restoring social order and stability.
The comments out of Beijing came a day after Hong Kong's Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, vowed to restore order after nine weeks of nearly uninterrupted demonstrations.
Speaking on Monday, Lam said Hong Kong was "on the verge of a very dangerous situation."
