Hong Kong protesters clash with riot police and batter cops as 10,000 join pro-democracy march
HONG Kong protesters clashed with riot police as more than 10,000 joined the pro-democracy march today.
Demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam when officers appeared to bash protesters with batons.
Today’s demonstrations come after leader Lam suspended a controversial extradition law.
It would have allowed Hong Kong crime suspects to be extradited to the mainland, where the ruling Communist Party controls the court system.
Lam apologised for her handling of the legislation, but now thousands are demanding she resign.
Nelson Yip, a protester in his 40s, said: “I think there is now a huge problem on how the police enforce the law.
“Carrie Lam has been hiding. She has made many promises but she has not been able to fulfill them.
“There is no sign she is going to fulfill them.”
Organisers said 110,000 protesters took part, while police put the number at 28,000, according to broadcaster RTHK.
Things only turned violent towards the end of the day when demonstrators retreated into a shopping complex in the mainland shopping centre in Sha Tin.
Images from inside the shopping centre show violent clashes between demonstrators and police.
Police appeared to tear the shirt off a protester in one photo and other show bloodied faces of cops and demonstrators.
Hundreds of protesters wore helmets and surgical masks as protection against the police use of pepper spray and tear gas.
Some demonstrators threw umbrellas and water bottles police.
Protesters were also demanding an investigation into complaints over police allegedly assaulting demonstrators during marches against the proposed extradition law change.
Some carried signs reading “Police Are Liars” and others held signs that read “Defend Hong Kong”.
A government statement said the march was “peaceful and orderly” but afterwards some protesters “violently assaulted police officers.”
It added: “Society will absolutely not tolerate such violent acts.”
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Clashes have taken over Hong Kong since July 1 – the anniversary of its handover from UK to Chinese rule.
A small group of protesters smashed into Hong Kong’s Legislative Council building and raised the British colonial flag in a symbol of defiance.
Police used pepper spray and batons to control demonstrators.
HONG KONG HISTORY
- Hong Kong became a British colony with the end of the First Opium War in 1842.
- The British fought the war to preserve the right of the East India Company to sell opium into mainland China.
- The establishment of the colony gave Britain control over a number of ports to which foreign merchants could deliver goods.
- Britain obtained a 99-year lease for the territory in 1898 and relinquished control when that lease expired in 1997.
- Hong Kong now operates as a semi-autonomous territory, with control over its own trade, tax, and immigration policy.
- Under the terms of the 1997 handover, that status is protected until 2047.
- What happens after 2047 is currently undecided, but opponents of the Beijing government fear that China will seek to gain control of the territory.
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