Hong Kong protests see 1.7 MILLION umbrella-carrying demonstrators hit the streets as government is compared to the Nazis
HUNDREDS of thousands of umbrella-carrying protesters packed the streets of Hong Kong to chant anti-government slogans and call for change.
During the huge show of force, the words ‘SS Nazi = HK Police’ were daubed on walls across the city after weeks of violent clashes in the former British colony.
Sunday’s pro-democracy demonstration stayed peaceful, with organisers estimating that at least 1.7 million people took part in the marches.
Many of them are wore black and were carrying umbrellas, which have become a symbol of the protests.
Drenched by heavy rain, they chanted ‘cheer for Hong Kong’ and ‘free Hong Kong’.
Medical tents were set up amid concerns about a repeat of the violent clashes which have dogged recent protests.
“They’ve been telling everyone we’re rioters. The march today is to show everyone we are not,” said a 23-year-old protester named Chris.
“It does not mean we won’t keep fighting. We will do whatever is necessary to win, but today we take a break, then we reassess.”
One protester shouted at others who were jeering at police, “Today is a peaceful march! Don’t fall into the trap! The world is watching us.”
Anger first erupted in June over a now-suspended bill that would allow criminal suspects in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China.
What is happening in Hong Kong and why?
Protests have gripped Hong Kong since June 2019, sparked by highly controversial legislation.
If passed, the bill would give loca authorities the right to detain and extradite people who are wanted in countries or territories Hong Kong does not have agreements with – which includes mainland China and Taiwan.
That bill has been shelved for now – but the protests have evolved against the government amid fears of the growing control of China’s Communist party.
Protesters also believe their leader should be elected in a more democratic way that reflects the preference of the voters.
The chief executive, Carrie Lam, is currently elected by a 1,200-member election committee – a mostly pro-Beijing body chosen by just six per cent of eligible voters.
The protesters demands are the resignation of the city’s leader, Carrie Lam, an amnesty for those arrested and a permanent withdrawal of the bill.
Hong Kong, a former British colony in south eastern China, has long enjoyed a special status under the principal “one country, two systems”.
The Basic Law dictates it will retain its common law and capitalist system for 50 years after the handover in 1997.
However, the unrest has also been fuelled by concerns about the erosion of freedoms guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” formula put in place after Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule in 1997.
The high-profile protests – which have made headlines around the world – now present one of the biggest challenges for Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.
Protesters held aloft placards with slogans including ‘Free Hong Kong!’ and ‘Democracy now!’ and some aimed green lasers at police and government buildings.
The crowd in Causeway Bay’s leafy Victoria Park, where the rally started, included elderly people and young families, with some parents carrying toddlers.
Despite rally organisers not having permission to march, the park could not accommodate the crowd, which soon swelled into nearby streets.
Many protesters headed towards Hong Kong’s financial centre, chanting for the city’s Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam, to step down.
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Police estimated there were 128,000 people packed intoVictoria Park at the beginning of the weekend protest.
“It’s bloody hot and it’s raining. It’s a torture just to turn up, frankly. But we have to be here because we have no other choice,” said a 24-year-old student named Jonathan.
“We have to continue until the government finally shows us the respect that we deserve.”
A government spokesman said the protests were generally peaceful, but they had disrupted traffic badly.