US urges increased caution for Americans visiting Hong Kong

Protesters cast a finger shadow featuring a dog which represents a policeman on the Hong Kong Space Museum using laser pointers during a rally to demonstrate against the arrests of people caught in possession of laser pointers that police classified as offensive weapons because of their ability to harm the eyes in Hong Kong on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. Hong Kong is facing its “most severe situation” since its handover from British rule in 1997 following weeks of demonstrations and the central government is considering what measures to take next, the head of Beijing’s Cabinet office responsible for the territory said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Protesters focus the laser pointers to a newspaper as they try to burn it, during a rally to demonstrate against the arrests of people caught in possession of laser pointers that police classified as offensive weapons because of their ability to harm the eyes in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. Hong Kong is facing its “most severe situation” since its handover from British rule in 1997 following weeks of demonstrations and the central government is considering what measures to take next, the head of Beijing’s Cabinet office responsible for the territory said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)