Over a million people have joined a mass protest against the Hong Kong government’s controversial extradition bill, according to organisers.
The march was organised by the Civil Human Rights Front – a coalition of pro-democracy groups.
Protesters march during a rally against a controversial extradition law proposal in Hong Kong on June 9, 2019. Photo: Philip Fong/AFP.
Demonstrators brought Hong Kong Island to a halt, chanting “Scrap the evil law,” “Oppose China extradition” and “Carrie Lam resign,” in reference to the Chief Executive.
Police urged protesters to march from Victoria Park before the 3pm start-time to ease overcrowding.
The MTR also enacted crowd control measures, with protesters still leaving Victoria Park up to four hours after the start time. Protesters were still arriving at the end-point seven hours after the protest began.
Police opened up all lanes on Hennessey Road after initially refusing to do so.
Photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.
Lam declined to answer questions at a public appearance in Ocean Park on Sunday afternoon.
The organiser turnout figure would make it the largest protest Hong Kong has ever seen, surpassing the turnout seen at mass rallies in 1989 and 2003.
Photo: InMediahk.net.
The protesters marched towards the legislature over an issue that has underscored divisions in society over trust in the legislature and the Chinese judicial system.
‘Nonsense’
Hong Kong’s government first proposed legal amendments in February to allow the city to handle case-by-case extradition requests from jurisdictions with no prior agreements, most notably China and Taiwan.
The plan would enable the chief executive and local courts to handle extradition requests without legislative oversight and could reach a final vote before the current legislative period ends in July.
The government has said the law will allow it to close a legal “loophole,” but lawyers, journalists, foreign politicians and businesses have raised concerns over the risk of residents being extradited to the mainland.
Photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.
HK Lau, a retired civil servant in his 60s, told HKFP he believed the passing of the extradition law would mean the end of the One Country Two Systems principle.
“Communist China has never changed,” Lau said. “If anything has changed it is that they are richer and more powerful, and now it’s spreading.”