Tens of thousands of people marched in the streets of Hong Kong Sunday to protest a law that would allow people to be extradited for trial to mainland China where courts are controlled by the Communist Party.
As the marchers dispersed late Sunday, hundreds of protesters clashed with police. At least two protesters were taken away by police, the South China Morning Post reported.
Photos posted on social media showed police in riot gear confronting demonstrators.
Standoff between HK police and anti #extradition protesters with some protesters subdued to the ground in Mong Kok. Pics by @VictorTing7 of @SCMPNews on the ground pic.twitter.com/wcfpJNtq5b
— Phila Siu (Bobby) (@phila_siu) July 7, 2019
The protests earlier in the day on Kowloon had been mainly peaceful. Organizers said about 230,000 people took part, while police estimated the crowd at 56,000.
The protesters on Sunday targeted the West Kowloon Express rail station that connects Hong Kong with mainland China. The demonstrators said they want to talk directly to mainland Chinese visitors to inform them about the controversial proposed law.
There has been very little media coverage on the mainland about the month-long demonstrations in Hong Kong.
Sunday’s protest was the first major demonstration since last week when protesters stormed Hong Kong’s Legislative Council building, damaging and defacing the chambers.
The Chinese government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office described the protesters’ action last week as a direct attack on the “one country, two systems” principle that allows Hong Kong freedom as a special territory in the Communist party-ruled state.
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said the storming of the Legislative Council complex was an unlawful act that trampled on the city’s rule of law.
