Police and protesters clash amidst huge democratic march in Hong Kong | News from the world

Police and protesters clashed after hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong Sunday at the city's largest protest in recent weeks.

Riot police, armed with batons and shields, fired tear gas to disperse the crowd as protesters headed for policemen trying to push them away from a high road in the west of the district near the office. Beijing link with the city. A protester threw a bottle at the police. The officers advanced on the crowd by throwing smoke bombs.

The smoke filled the air after several shots of tear gas. Hundreds of protesters fled panicked.

The clashes took place after protesters challenged police orders to restrict the boundaries of their rally, in a bold new demonstration of support for a political movement that shows little sign of slowing down.

Protesters ignored police requests to end the march before reaching the heart of Hong Kong's central business district and continuing their journey to the Beijing Liaison Office.

They graffit the walls of the building and called for a "revolution of the century". "The Chinese Communist Party brings chaos to Hong Kong," said another. Protesters erected barricades with metal fences and threw eggs before asking the crowd to retreat as riot police vans took a stand by their side.

Elderly demonstrators holding flowers as a sign of peace pledged to stay until the youngest protesters left. Other demonstrators erected barricades with dismantled metal fences.

The organizers estimated that about 430,000 people attended the march on Sunday, marking the seventh consecutive weekend in which citizens have spoken out against the government. The demonstrations, which began with the now suspended bill, have become a broader democratic movement in China. The protesters also call for an investigation into alleged police brutality against unarmed protesters at previous rallies.

"The government has not responded, so we need to continue to make our voices heard," said Catherine Sin, a 21-year-old graduate who said it was the fourth event she attended. last month.

The volunteers asked the demonstrators to put on face masks to avoid detection by the police, while others carried water, umbrellas and other supplies.

The protesters created a sea of ​​black, the official color of the protest movement, punctuated with umbrellas giving the sun's shadow. They chanted their demands, focusing mainly on calls for an investigation into police tactics and abandoning the prosecution of arrested protesters, shouting "suppression investigation" and "withdrawing prosecution". Some held pictures of injured protesters and signs saying "Stop police brutality".

In the middle of the main march, hundreds of people made a detour to gather in front of the police headquarters, which was twice the scene of loud rallies during which protesters ransacked the building's exterior. . On Sunday, the headquarters was surrounded by gigantic barricades filled with water installed by the authorities. The riot police in green uniforms with long shields stood guard behind the barricades at one point.

Protesters stuck colorful sticky notes with messages condemning the police brutality on the barricades. "Nasty police, shame on you!" Shouted a lot. "The Hong Kong police know the law, but break the law." The crowd booed and gestured when police appeared on a balcony.

"For freedom and dignity, we have to pay a price. I do not advocate violence, but to get what we want, the bloodshed is sometimes unavoidable. It's a sad reality, "said a protester, who gave his name to Raymond.

Earlier, protesters cheered as protesters left Hong Kong's Victoria Park and headed for the city center. The protesters called "Go Hong Kong!" And waved placards bearing the title "No extradition to China", in reference to the controversial extradition bill that provoked the city's biggest political crisis for decades. decades.

In response to mbad demonstrations and clashes that began in early June, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam promised that the extradition plan was "dead". Protesters feared that Beijing would use the bill to extricate political activists and enemies in China.

The activists promised to continue until Lam met his main demands, including the permanent withdrawal of the bill and democratic reforms to establish direct elections. They also want her to resign.

"She continues to make things worse," said Gordon Poon, who joined the march.

Sunday's protest was quieter than previous protests, some said, but activists were still satisfied with the turnout. Three hours after the start of the march, the crowd was still heading from the starting point of the demonstration.

"People have always gone out. We still have to do something, "said Crystal Wong, 34, a therapist.

Others said that they were ready to come every weekend or several times a month. For example, one social worker who asked to give only her last name said, "I think it takes longer. We are ready for a long fight. "

Before the parade began, protesters shouted at police officers, condemning them for beating protesters at previous protests. A young man used rolled paper to repeatedly hit a poster with a photo of the police superintendent. Garbage bags and newspaper were thrown out the window near the crowd, which caused bastards.

Police built water barriers around their headquarters and installed a cordon around the government complex. Metal fences, garbage cans and other street materials that protesters have dismantled and used to barricade at previous protests have been removed. Workers stuck bricks on the ground to prevent their use as weapons.

The police warned of possible violence. Authorities announced Saturday that they have discovered 2 kg of powerful homemade explosives, triacetone triperoxide (TATP), gasoline bombs, acid, knives and metal rods on the scene, as well as streamers anti-extradition.

Sunday's march route was originally scheduled to end in front of Hong Kong's downtown courthouse to highlight another demand: a commission led by a judge to investigate the police's use of rubber bullets, tear gas and batons on unarmed protesters in recent weeks. Instead, the police ordered the rally organizer, the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), to finish the march earlier on the route, before reaching downtown, located near the government complex. Local public broadcaster RTHK reported that protesters defied police orders and headed to Admiralty's government headquarters.

In an editorial in English on Sunday, China's Times Times reported, "China will not allow extremists and outside forces to destroy the Hong Kong justice system and plunge the city into a vicious circle. If Hong Kong loses the rule of law and becomes a political battlefield, its future will be uncertain. This is against the wishes of the people of Hong Kong and China will not allow it. "

Beijing's authority over the former British colony since it returned to Chinese control in 1997 is the most direct challenge. Under this agreement, Hong Kong had to maintain a high degree of autonomy from the continent, with an independent judiciary a free press, in a framework called a country, two systems.

But over the years, the city has witnessed Beijing's growing influence. Independent booksellers have disappeared, the government has disqualified pro-democracy politicians and imprisoned pro-democracy activists.

Bonnie Leung Wing-man, the CHRF Deputy Vice-President, said she plans to do the same as in a recent march on July 1, the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover. badisted half a million people. More than one million people participated in the previous marches.

"Since Carrie Lam's government has shown no real action or sincerity to respond to our demands, and police abuse of power continues, we expect a high turnout," he said. she said.

The demonstrations have resulted in a pattern in which peaceful, city-sanctioned demonstrations turn into violence when the police clash with those who refuse to leave. The police asked the protesters to leave immediately after the demonstration, one minute before midnight.

On Saturday, pro-Peking groups organized a rally to support the police and demand an end to the unrest. In China, protests were described as riots, with the public media focusing on clashes between protesters and police. Images of the protests were censored on the WeChat messaging platform.

A group of protesters broadcast a video of protesters, hunger strikers and other people reading aloud a manifesto for the movement. Some faced the camera while others only showed their backs. Two women, allegedly parents of protesters, said: "We do not have weapons, we are not violent. All we have are hearts that yearn for justice and determination without fear … to continue. "

Protesters have vowed to continue until Lam meets their demands, but some fear that the movement will run out of steam, with demonstrations not producing significant results from the government. "There is no end, in the short term I am not optimistic, but we are doing our best, and without effective regime change in Beijing, nothing can improve," said Poon. .