Hong Kong: demonstrations against China intensify with rubber bullets and wounded

HONG KONG.- With tear gas, pepper spray, rubber balls and hoses. The police

Hong Kong

try to stop the
protesters who, even today, since the weekend, are demonstrating near the government building to oppose a
controversial reform of the extradition system, symbol of the concerns raised by the rise in
Chinese control and the erosion of civil rights in the territory.

The current violence in the streets, which has left at least 22 injured, is read as the biggest political crisis in the country for several years, in the midst of a legislative debate on proposals for reform of the regulation on extradition , which would

China

suspects of crimes in Hong Kong to be tried.

The thousands of people who gathered, mostly young people with their faces covered, broke down the barriers and organized crossings with agents in front of the government headquarters and the offices of the Legislative Council. They also threw stones, bottles, metal fences and other items at the officers, which amounted to about 30,000 men. When it appeared that a group had crossed the perimeter of the police around the building, police acted to repulse it and also used non-lethal projectiles.

The protesters camped out, mimicking the 2014 revolution, getting water, food and other supplies, including doctors, with the intention of staying there until they reached the end of the year. and that they obtain the cancellation of the project titled Fugitive Offenders Act. The police chief said that "it is now a revolt", a qualification was not even used in the protests five years ago and may result in penalties of up to five years. To ten years in prison. "We urge people to do nothing they can regret for the rest of their lives," he added.

As a result of these incidents, the government announced the postponement of the legislative session, scheduled for 11 am, and has not yet announced the date of its holding. In addition, government director Carrie Lam canceled a scheduled press conference.

This delay is now seen as a temporary victory for the critics of the reform, who have led the biggest marches in Hong Kong since the Democracy Demonstrations that paralyzed part of the Asian financial center for more than three months in 2014. In this cadre, Businesses closed Wednesday and work stoppages and student strikes were called.

The protests are seen as a challenge for the ruling Chinese Communist Party and its president,

Xi Jinping,

who said in the past that he would not tolerate Hong Kong being invoked to challenge the party's authority. The marches also provided the opportunity for young Hong Kong nationals, alienated by a political process dominated by the economic elite of the territory, to express themselves.

The rejects

The status of the legislative reform remained unclear after the violent incidents, which essentially ended after the police guided the protesters across a pedestrian bridge. However, several hundred protesters showed no sign of wanting to leave.

One of them, Marco, said that he hoped that the demonstration would persuade the government to withdraw the proposed amendments. "We want the government to leave the bill and not bring it back," he said.

In the same vein, another young man said the event was a turning point for his counterparts in Hong Kong, facing tough job prospects and soaring housing prices. "We must defend our rights, otherwise they will take away our rights," he said.

Participants' objections to identifying themselves by their full name and profession reflected the increasingly aggressive strategy of civil disobedience authorities. Such actions are never tolerated in mainland China and Hong Kong residents may face travel bans and other repercussions as they cross the border.

The "one country, two systems" philosophy was supposed to guarantee Hong Kong the right to preserve its social, legal and political systems for 50 years after the return of the former British colony in 1997. However, the Chinese Communist Party seems to be gradually giving up this agreement by imposing unpopular legal reforms.

AP and DPA agencies

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