Skunk — usually sprayed from a high-pressure water cannon truck — has long been a trusted tool of the police, who claim that its use reduces the need for more violent crowd control methods.

The procurement process for the permanent water cannon trucks progressed after Commissioner Drew Harris made a case to the Government for them in the weeks following the Dublin riots in November 2023.

The court heard that the student threw a brick towards a water cannon truck at 7pm as police were dispersing protesters in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. He was later subdued by three officers ...