Up to a million people have taken to the streets in Hong Kong against a planned extradition law with China.
There were violent clashes with the police.
Hong Kong's head of government, Carrie Lam, said on Monday that she wanted to stick to the law despite the protests.
After peaceful mass protests in Hong Kong against a law on extradition to China, clashes between demonstrators and the police broke out on Monday night. Several hundred riot police sealed off the parliament building according to eyewitnesses. They went there with batons, tear gas and pepper spray against also several hundred demonstrators.
On both sides there seemed to be injured persons, bent metal shutters testified to the violence. Previously, hundreds of thousands of people had spent hours on the streets protesting against a planned law designed to allow extradition to China. The resistance is spreading through broad sections of the population in Hong Kong. The organizers estimated the number of demonstrators after more than seven hours of protest marches to more than one million people. The police said that the highlight of the demonstrations was 240,000 people.
The head of government is unimpressed by the protests
The head of the Hong Kong government, Carrie Lam, wants the bill presented by her government to be passed by the Legislative Council, the Hong Kong Parliament, on Wednesday without a prior consultation with the specialized committees. On Monday, she indicated that she wanted to stick to the law despite the protests. It was important and will help Hong Kong to uphold the justice system and fulfill its international obligations. Nevertheless, it was ensured that human rights were respected. There were calls for Lams resignation during the demonstrations. On banners was among other things "deliver yourself".
The law could enter into force at the end of June. Critics from various social groups see the legal independence of Hong Kong in danger and fear abuses of the extradition law by China. There, the opponents of the law criticize the lack of transparency and fairness in the justice system.
Foreign governments were also concerned and warned that Hong Kong's position as an international financial capital might be threatened. The reason given for this concern was the possibility that foreigners sought after in China could be arrested and extradited in Hong Kong. The former British Crown Colony had been returned to China in 1997 according to the contract. However, as a Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy and has freedoms that are taboo in Chinese heartland.
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