Hong Kong protest ends in chaotic clashes between police and demonstrators

Violent clashes have erupted between Hong Kong police and protesters at the end of a peaceful demonstration against the controversial extradition bill. The incidents took place late on Sunday in a bustling town between Hong Kong island and the border with China.

The scene descended into chaos shortly before 10pm local time (1400 GMT), after riot police chased protesters into a shopping centre in Sha Tin. Police used truncheons and pepper spray against protesters, who threw objects such as umbrellas and plastic water bottles at them. Some protesters were also seen beating a police officer. Several arrests were made.

A sanctioned, daytime demonstration against the bill earlier in the day had drawn tens of thousands of people. The extradition bill’s critics fear it could result in government opponents being sent to China to stand trial in Communist party-controlled courts.

Why are people protesting?

What started in early June as protests against a new extradition law have broadened into a pro-democracy movement concerned about the wider relationship between Hong Kong and China and the future for the special administrative region.

Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, has offered a ‘solemn’ personal apology for the crisis and also hinted that she had in effect shelved the controversial legislation. However, protesters criticised her as insincere and said she had ignored their key demands. The demonstrations have continued.

What was the proposed extradition law?

People have been demonstrating against legal changes that would make it easier to extradite people from Hong Kong to China. Supporters say the amendments are key to ensuring the city does not become a criminal refuge, but critics worry Beijing will use the law to extradite political opponents and others to China. Under the amended law, those accused of offences punishable by seven years or more in prison could be extradited.

Who is supporting the change?

The government claims the push to change the law, which would also apply to Taiwan and Macau, stems from the killing last year of a Hong Kong woman while she was in Taiwan with her boyfriend. Authorities in Taiwan suspect the woman’s boyfriend, who remains in Hong Kong, but cannot try him because no extradition agreement is in place.

Officials have promised to safeguard against abuses, pledging that no one at risk of political or religious persecution will be sent to the mainland. Suspects who could face the death penalty would not be extradited.

Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said the bill has not come from the central government in Beijing. However, Beijing has voiced its backing for the changes.

Why are Hong Kongers so angry?

Many fear the proposed extradition law will be used by authorities to target political enemies. They worry the new legislation spells the end of the ‘one country, two systems’ policy, eroding the civil rights enjoyed by Hong Kong residents since the handover of sovereignty from the UK to China in 1997.

Many attending the protests said they could not trust China as it had often used non-political crimes to target government critics, and they also feared Hong Kong officials would not be able to reject Beijing’s requests. Legal professionals have also expressed concern over the rights of those sent across the border to be tried. The conviction rate in Chinese courts is as high as 99%. Arbitrary detentions, torture and denial of legal representation of one’s choosing are also common.

How have authorities responded?

After the current crisis, analysts believe the Hong Kong government will probably start a new round of retaliatory measures against its critics while the Chinese government will tighten its grip on the city. Police have said that 32 people have been arrested over the recent demonstrations and five have been charged with rioting, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. Six pro-democracy members of the legislature have already been ousted.

Lily Kuo in Beijing and Verna Yu in Hong Kong

The violence broke out shortly after police had cleared the streets following an hours-long standoff with protesters that began in the late afternoon when a small group of protesters threw objects at the police and placed traffic cones on the street, dismantled roadside metal barriers and set up makeshift barricades to separate themselves from police, who formed into a line.

Those standing near the police line put on goggles, face masks and helmets and armed themselves with umbrellas in case police used pepper spray. Noisy protesters chanted: “Nasty police, shame on you!” and shouted “Hong Kong, go!” to boost their spirits.

At about 6.30pm, more than a hundred riot police in green uniforms emerged on the scene, holding long shields. Protesters shouted: “Warrant cards! Warrant cards!” – complaining that police did not have identification numbers on their uniforms.

In a statement late on Sunday, the Hong Kong government said it “strongly condemned” protesters who “blocked roads, violently assaulted police officers and caused a breach of peace.”.

On Saturday, police had used pepper spray and batons to clear protesters in a similar protest in Sheung Shui, on the Chinese border, after clashes with protesters who refused to leave after a police-sanctioned march.

Police commissioner Stephen Lo said in a press briefing early on Monday that more than 40 protesterswere arrested. He said at least 10 policemen were injured, including one who had a section of his ring finger bitten off by a protester. He also said protesters violently kicked and beat a policeman who fell to the ground in the shopping centre in Shatin when the clashes took place.

The public broadcaster RTHK later said that 22 people were admitted to hospital after the clashes, of whom three were in serious condition. It reported that 11 police officers were injured in the unrest and two lost fingers.

The extradition bill has been suspended and Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, has declared it “dead”, but this has failed to reassure citizens, who fear it could be revived. At the demonstration in Sha Tin earlier on Sunday, protesters also urged the authorities to release people who have been detained during protests over the past month, and to investigate police use of force.

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“Release the righteous fighters! Carrie Lam step down! Shame on the nasty police!” they chanted.

Since 9 June, Hong Kong has been rocked by its biggest political crisis, with millions thronging the streets under the sweltering sun to protest against the proposed extradition law, which many fear could result in government critics being sent to China to stand trial.

The anti-extradition movement has morphed into a bigger movement encompassing a range of different causes over the past weeks. Many Hong Kong citizens say they have felt energised and emboldened by the solidarity and large turnout at recent protests, which have made headlines across the world.

The extradition protests have also reignited a longing for democracy. On Sunday, many protesters also chanted “I want real universal suffrage!”

Hong Kong’s leader is not elected by ordinary voters but by an elite committee accountable to Beijing. Only half of the 70-seat legislature is directly elected, while the other 35 seats are occupied by mostly pro-establishment figures from corporate and special interest groups.

The Hong Kong government has ejected pro-democracy lawmakers and barred candidates seen as pro-independence from running for elections, thereby stripping the pro-democracy camp’s ability to block unpopular policies in the legislature.