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hong kong protests 2019

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President Donald Trump has signed The Human Rights and Democracy Act into law as a support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

The bill mandates an annual review, to check if Hong Kong has enough autonomy to justify its special status with the US.

President Trump said he signed the law “out of respect for President Xi [Jinping], China, and the people of Hong Kong”.

He is currently seeking a deal with China, in order to end a trade war between the two countries.

Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry threatened “counter measures” if the US continued “going down the wrong path”.

The Chinese foreign ministry statement said: “The US has been disregarding facts and distorting truth.

“It openly backed violent criminals who rampantly smashed facilities, set fire, assaulted innocent civilians, trampled on the rule of law, and jeopardized social order.”

The foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador to demand that Washington stops interfering in Chinese internal affairs.

Hong Kong’s government also reacted, saying the American bill would send the wrong signal and would not help to ease the situation.

However, a key activist in the Hong Kong protest movement, Joshua Wong, said the US law was a “remarkable achievement” for “all Hongkongers”.

Hong Kong Elections 2019: Voters Turn Out in Record Numbers for District Council Polls

Hong Kong Protests: Five Injured in Knife Attack at Cityplaza Mall

Hong Kong Protests: Police and Protesters Clash in 13th Straight Weekend

President Trump had previously been non-committal about whether he would sign the bill, saying he was “with” Hong Kong but also that President Xi was “an incredible guy”.

However, the bill had widespread congressional support, which meant that even if he vetoed it, lawmakers could potentially have voted to overturn his decision.

President Trump also signed a second bill, which bans the export of crowd-control munitions to the police in Hong Kong – including tear gas, rubber bullets and stun guns.

He said: “[The bills] are being enacted in the hope that leaders and representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences, leading to long-term peace and prosperity for all.”

The bill was introduced in June in the early stages of the protests in Hong Kong, and was overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives last month.

It says: “Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system.

“The [annual review] shall assess whether China has eroded Hong Kong’s civil liberties and rule of law as protected by Hong Kong’s Basic Law.”

Among other things, Hong Kong’s special trading status means it is not affected by US sanctions or tariffs placed on the mainland.

The bill also says the US should allow Hong Kong residents to obtain US visas, even if they have been arrested for being part of non-violent protests.

Hong Kong’s protests started in June against a proposed law to allow extradition to mainland China but it has since transformed into a larger pro-democracy movement.

The protests have also seen increasingly violent clashes, with police being attacked, and officers firing live bullets.

The last week elections saw a landslide victory for the pro-democracy movement, with 17 of the 18 councils now controlled by pro-democracy councilors.

Image source Wikipedia

Hong Kong voters have turned out in record numbers to cast their ballots in the district council elections.

By lunchtime, the number of voters had already surpassed the final total in the 2015 elections.

The election is seen as a test of support for Hong Kong’s embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Pro-democracy campaigners hope the vote will send a message to the Chinese government after five months of unrest and anti-government protests.

On November 24, long queues formed amid fears polls might be closed by authorities if violence disrupted the election.

In the run-up to the election, pro-democracy protest groups had urged people not to cause disruption. No trouble has been reported so far.

A record 4.1 million people have registered to vote – more than half the population of 7.4 million.

More than 400 councilors are due to be elected to Hong Kong’s district council.

Hong Kong Protests: Five Injured in Knife Attack at Cityplaza Mall

Hong Kong Protests: Police and Protesters Clash in 13th Straight Weekend

Pro-democracy campaigners hope they will be able to increase their representation on the council, which traditionally has some influence in choosing the city’s chief executive.

Pro-Beijing candidates are urging voters to support them in order to express frustration at the upheaval caused by continuous clashes between protesters and police.

Polls opened at 07:30 local time on November 24.

According to government figures, by 16.30 more than 2.1 million people had voted (52.14% of all registered voters) compared to 754,705 (24.18%) within the same timescale in the last such elections in 2015.

In total, 1.467 million people voted in the last poll. Only 3.1 million people were registered to vote in that election.

More than 1,000 candidates are running for 452 district council seats which, for the first time, are all being contested. A further 27 seats are allocated to representatives of rural districts.

Currently, pro-Beijing parties hold the majority of these seats.

Police were seen outside some polling stations and on the streets but correspondents said they kept a low profile.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said after voting: “Facing the extremely challenging situation, I am pleased to say… we have a relatively calm and peaceful environment for (the) election today.”

Counting will start immediately after polls close at 22:30. Results are expected to start coming in before midnight.

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Image source: Wikimedia Commons

At least five people have been injured in a knife attack at a pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong on November 3.

The stabbing happened at the Cityplaza mall in the Tai Koo district.

According to the local hospital authority, four men and one woman were injured, with two in critical condition.

One of the injured, a local councilor, had his ear partially bitten off by the as-yet unidentified male attacker, who was subdued by passersby in the mall.

According to witnesses, the Mandarin-speaking attacker drew a knife after a political argument with people in the mall, which was the site of pro-democracy protests earlier in the day.

Hong Kong Protests: Police Storm Subway System to Tackle Suspected Protesters

Hong Kong Protests: Police and Protesters Clash in 13th Straight Weekend

The local councilor, Andrew Chiu Ka-yin, reportedly was attempting to prevent the attacker leaving the scene when the man bit off a section of his ear. Witnesses said the attacker was badly beaten by passersby who intervened, before police arrested the man.

The injured woman told the South China Morning Post that the attacker drew a knife after arguing with her sister and her husband, who were also injured.

According to the Hong Kong Free Press, the attacker was a Mandarin-speaking pro-Beijing supporter.

Hong Kong has experienced five months of sometimes violent demonstrations by pro-democracy activists, who first took to the streets to protest against a bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China, but evolved into a broader revolt against the way Hong Kong is administered by Beijing.

The pro-democracy protests continued this weekend, days after a high-profile activist, Joshua Wong, was banned from standing in local elections.

Police fired tear gas into crowds of demonstrators in the eastern suburb of Taikoo Shing, home to the Cityplaza where the knife attack occurred.

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Hong Kong police have violently tackled suspected protesters with batons and using pepper spray on a train in the city’s subway after thousands of people marched on the street in defiance of a ban.

Police say they were called to the scene amid violence against citizens by “radical protesters”.

However, it is unclear if all those injured and arrested in the subway system were involved in demonstrations.

Protesters took to the streets on August 31 to mark the fifth anniversary of China’s government banning fully democratic elections in Hong Kong.

They lit fires, threw petrol bombs and attacked the parliament building.

In response, riot police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse crowds, and fired live warning shots as they tried to clear the streets.

The latest protests came just a day after the arrest of several key pro-democracy activists and lawmakers in China’s special administrative region.

Hong Kong Protests: Police and Protesters Clash in 13th Straight Weekend

Hong Kong has now seen 13 successive weeks of demonstrations.

The movement grew out of rallies against a controversial extradition bill – now suspended – which would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial.

It has since become a broader pro-democracy movement in which clashes have grown more violent.

During protests, crowds gathered by Prince Edward and Mong Kok stations in Hong Kong’s Kowloon neighborhood.

Police said in a tweet they had responded at both sites after reports of “radical protesters” assaulting citizens and damaging property.

In a statement, Hong Kong’s government also said some protesters had “committed arson and “hurled miscellaneous objects and iron railings” on to railway tracks, “completely disregarding the safety of other passengers”.

Forty people were subsequently arrested for unlawful assembly, criminal damage and the assault of police officers, police spokesperson Yolanda Yu told reporters.

However, several people complained of excessive force used by the authorities.

MTR, which operates the city’s subway line, told local media that three stations – Prince Edward, Mongkok and Kowloon Bay – had been closed as a result of the incident.

Protesters took to the streets in the Wan Chai district, many joining a Christian march, while others demonstrated in the Causeway Bay shopping district in the pouring rain. Many carried umbrellas and wore face masks.

Tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon have been used by Hong Kong riot police to disperse crowds as tens of thousands marched in the city, defying a ban.

Protesters lit fires, threw petrol bombs at riot police and attacked the parliament building.

An event to mark five years since Beijing ruled out fully democratic elections was banned in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China.

On August 30, several key pro-democracy activists and lawmakers were arrested.

The protest movement grew out of rallies against a controversial extradition bill – now suspended – which would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial.

It has since become a broader pro-democracy movement in which clashes have grown more violent.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Hong Kong Extradition Protests: Tear Gas Fired at Demonstrators Gathered in Mong Kok

Hong Kong Protests: Tear Gas Fired at Unauthorized Yuen Long Rally

Hong Kong Protests: Hundreds of Demonstrators Storm Parliament Building on Anniversary of Chinese Rule

Demonstrators took to the streets in the Wan Chai district, many joining a Christian march, while others protested in the Causeway Bay shopping district in the pouring rain. Many carried umbrellas and wore face masks.

On the 13th weekend of protests, demonstrators – chanting “stand with Hong Kong” and “fight for freedom” – gathered outside government offices, the local headquarters of China’s People’s Liberation Army and the city’s parliament, known as the Legislative Council.

In the Admiralty district, some demonstrators threw fire bombs towards officers. Earlier, protesters marched near the official residence of embattled leader Carrie Lam, who is the focal point of much of the anger.

Police had erected barriers around key buildings and road blocks, and fired tear gas and jets of blue-dyed water from the water cannon. The colored liquid is traditionally used to make it easier for police to identify protesters.

The recent demonstrations have been characterized as leaderless.

On August 30, police had appealed to members of the public to cut ties with “violent protesters” and had warned people not to take part in the banned march.

Police made a number of arrests on August 31.

During a 24-hour police crackdown, at least three activists – including prominent 23-year-old campaigner Joshua Wong – and three lawmakers were detained.

Joshua Wong, who first rose to prominence as the poster boy of a protest movement that swept Hong Kong in 2014, was released on bail after being charged over the protests which have rocked the territory since June.

Hong Kong is part of China, but enjoys “special freedoms”. Those are set to expire in 2047, and many in Hong Kong do not want to become “another Chinese city”.

Beijing has repeatedly condemned the protesters and described their actions as “close to terrorism”. The protests have frequently escalated into violence between police and activists, with injuries on both sides.

Activists are increasingly concerned that China might use military force to intervene.

On August 29, Beijing moved a new batch of troops into Hong Kong, a move Chinese state media described as a routine annual rotation.

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Tear gas has been fired by Hong Kong riot police at protesters who are demonstrating for the ninth weekend in a row.

On August 3, groups rallied in the Mong Kok district before starting their march. They called on others to join a city-wide strike planned for August 5.

Beijing and the Chinese army have issued stern warnings about the unrest.

Two months of Hong Kong demonstrations sparked by a controversial extradition bill show no signs of abating, with both sides hardening their stance.

Although the government has now suspended the controversial bill, which would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, demonstrators want the bill fully withdrawn.

Their demands have broadened to include calls for more democracy and for Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam to resign.

Hong Kong – a former British colony – is part of China but enjoys unique freedoms not seen on the mainland.

Hong Kong Protests: Tear Gas Fired at Unauthorized Yuen Long Rally

Hong Kong Protests: Hundreds of Demonstrators Storm Parliament Building on Anniversary of Chinese Rule

Protesters initially gathered in Mong Kok, a Hong Kong district where violent clashes took place during pro-democracy protests in 2014.

A group of demonstrators briefly blocked access to the Cross Harbour Tunnel, causing traffic chaos, while others set up make-shift barricades on shopping streets.

As the demonstrations dragged into the night, protesters gathered outside the police station in Tsim Sha Tsui district. Officers then fired tear gas at the activists.

The South China Morning Post published a police statement saying the “radical” group had set fires nearby and had thrown bricks into the building.

The march comes after a group of civil servants – ordered to be politically neutral – joined demonstrations in their thousands on August 2.

The rally followed the publication of an anonymous letter on Facebook complaining about “extreme oppression” and listing five key demands – the complete withdrawal of the extradition bill; waiving charges against those arrested; an end to descriptions of protests as “rioting”; an independent inquiry into the unrest; and resuming political reforms.

Supporters of Hong Kong’s police force also gathered earlier for a rally in Victoria Park.

Some unions and organizations have reportedly already agreed to take part in the strike planned for August 5. There are also further demonstrations planned for August 4.

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Tear gas has been fired by Hong Kong riot police at an unauthorized protest held by tens of thousands of people to condemn an attack by armed masked men last week.

As a small group of protesters refused to disperse in the northern district of Yuen Long, police fired rubber bullets.

The protest took place where pro-democracy protesters had been attacked by suspected triad gang members.

Police have been accused of turning a blind eye and colluding with the attackers, claims they deny.

There were seven weeks of anti-government and pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong sparked by a controversial bill that would have enabled extraditions to mainland China.

The government has since halted the legislation but protesters have demanded its complete withdrawal, as well as an inquiry into police violence, democratic reform, and that Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam resign.

Hong Kong Protests: Hundreds of Demonstrators Storm Parliament Building on Anniversary of Chinese Rule

Hong Kong protests: Schools and banks closed as demonstrators block downtown

Hong Kong clashes near government offices

The July 27 rally had been banned by the police, a highly unusual move in the territory, where protests are usually allowed.

Police say they refused permission because they feared violent clashes between protesters and residents.

The march was planned as a response to last Sunday’s attack, in which about 100 men descended on Yuen Long’s metro station, beating protesters – as well as passersby and journalists – with wooden and metal sticks.

The attack left 45 people injured and was widely blamed on triad gang members. They appeared to target those wearing black, the color people had been told to wear for the protest.

Triads are known to be active in Yuen Long – located in a rural northern district in Hong Kong, near mainland China – and many local villagers have also expressed opposition to the pro-democracy protests.

Tens of thousands defied the police ban and approached Yuen Long on July 27, marching down some of the main roads.

Police observed and filmed the start of the protest, and riot police could be seen on standby.

They said some protesters were holding iron poles and shields, and “even removing fences from roads”.

Some protesters also surrounded and vandalized a police vehicle, “causing danger to the life of the police officers on board”, they said.

Shortly after 17:00 local time, police began firing several rounds of tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

The protesters – most wearing masks and hard hats – threw projectiles and swore at police – but also parted to allow ambulances to go through.

Later in the evening, in an attempt to clear several hundred demonstrators, police fired rubber bullets, injuring at least nine people, according to the AFP news agency.

Protesters have been demanding an independent inquiry into police violence, saying police used excessive force in several anti-extradition bill and pro-democracy protests.

Demonstrators and pro-democracy legislators have alleged that the authorities – including the police and pro-government legislators – had advance knowledge of the attack.

Police say suggestions that they colluded with criminal gangs were a “smear”, and that 12 people have so far been arrested, including nine men with links to triads.

There have also been growing tensions between protesters and pro-Beijing groups.

Earlier this week, pro-Beijing legislator Junius Ho’s office was ransacked, and his parents’ graves were vandalized.

Junius Ho had come under criticism after video footage showed him shaking hands with white-shirted men on July 27 shortly before the attacks.

He said he did not know about the attack, but defended the men, saying they were simply “defending their home and people”.

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Hundreds of protesters have occupied Hong Kong’s parliament building for hours after breaking away from a protest on the anniversary of the state’s transfer of sovereignty to China from Britain.

Police firing tear gas have moved in to evict protesters from the Legislative Council (LegCo) building.

At midnight, local time, hundreds of police charged towards the building after warning protesters to clear it.

The incident follows weeks of unrest in Hong Kong over a controversial extradition law.

Hundreds of thousands took part in the earlier protest – the latest rally against a proposed law that critics fear could be used to extradite political dissidents to mainland China.

Dozens of demonstrators smashed their way through the glass facade of LegCo. They were joined inside by hundreds more after police vacated the building during the evening.

Hong Kong protests: Schools and banks closed as demonstrators block downtown

Hong Kong clashes near government offices

Image source AFP

Inside the building, protesters defaced the emblem of Hong Kong in the central chamber, raised the old British colonial flag, spray-painted messages across the walls, and shattered furniture.

They clad in plastic helmets and brandishing umbrellas retreated from a baton charge by riot police, who quickly overcame the makeshift barriers in front of the building.

Inside, diehard demonstrators were pulled forcibly outside by their fellow occupants in an attempt to completely clear the building.

Democratic lawmakers Ted Hui and Roy Kwong stood in front of police asking them to allow protesters time to leave the area, the South China Morning Post reported.

Within an hour, the streets around the parliament building were clear of everyone except the media and police.

However, no arrests have yet been reported.