Hong Kong protests: 'Stop killing us!' 2 million march against extradition bill

By Dilip -
NB: Democratic resistance to tyranny can succeed. Support the Chinese people's struggle for democratic rights. DS
Hong Kong’s political crisis has entered its second week, after protestors who had filled the city’s streets in record numbers on Sunday rejected an apology from leader Carrie Lam, and vowed to continue their fight against a controversial law she championed. After the sweeping protest – which organisers say attracted 2 million people, the largest in the city’s history – Lam apologised in a statement for the way the government had handled the draft extradition law.

Scenes from the protests
Vast protest in Hong Kong against extradition law
Wei Jingsheng THE FIFTH MODERNIZATION (1978) // Rong Jian: A China bereft of thought

But she did not meet any of demonstrators’ key demands. They are calling for her to withdraw the extradition bill, end a crackdown on activists and hold police accountable for brutal tactics at previous protests. They also want her to resign. For most of Monday morning a small group of protestors still blocked a key road outside government headquarters, but by midday they had retreated to a nearby park. Authorities said government offices would be closed for the day.

Strikes of students and workers also had been called by protest organisers for Monday, and although most of the city was working as usual, the opposition movement got fresh impetus with the release of prominent activist Joshua Wong, who had been jailed over his role leading pro-democracy movements in 2014. He called on Lam to resign, soon after he walked free. “She is no longer qualified to be Hong Kong’s leader,” Wong told reporters. “She must take the blame and resign, be held accountable and step down.”.. read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/17/hong-kong-protests-carrie-lam-public-rejects-apology-strike-police

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