Hong Kong protesters prepared for demonstrations around the city on Thursday as shopping malls said they would close early to avoid becoming targets and the city’s metro, which has borne the brunt of the violent unrest, will close three hours early. Hong Kong is one of the world’s top shopping cities but four months of often violent protests have severely dented that reputation, with scores of shops vandalized and malls now becoming sites for sit-ins by protesters. Apple Inc on Wednesday removed an app that protesters have used to track police movements, prompting some demonstrators to say they may “visit” its Hong Kong store.
