Police fire in air as Macau workers protest

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Riot police in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau fired into the air on Tuesday as they struggled to disperse May Day crowds demanding labor rights and an end to corruption.

"There were three or four gunshots. Police fired towards the sky, there was smoke," said a Reuters photographer. "At the time the protesters were running towards the police."

Police at the scene confirmed that they had fired five live shots into the air but said no one was injured in the shooting. They could not confirm how many people had been arrested or injured in the fracas.

More than 1,000 protesters carried banners and placards calling for better labor protection and an end to corruption. Some also demanded the resignation of Chief Executive Edmund Ho, Macau's Beijing-appointed leader.

Witnesses said scuffles erupted when protesters hurled water bottles at police and tried to break through police cordons, while local television stations showed police beating back protesters with batons and dragging away a number of them.

The protest ended after about six hours.

Speaking on the eve of the May Day march, Ho said late on Monday the government of the Macau Special Administrative Region was seriously concerned over workers' complaints and he vowed to strengthen labor-related policies.

Ho said the government would speed up the process of revising labor legislation and seek to stem the influx of illegal workers into the enclave.

Harmony was the key to Macau's sustainable development, he added.

Dozens of protesters and police were hurt in Macau last May Day, when a similar protest turned violent.