Hong Kong Protesters March Again
- 07 Jul 2019
On 6th July 2019, protesters in Hong Kong continued their march and advocacy against the controversial Extradition Bill.
Relevance of the News: It highlights the efforts of China to capture the autonomy of Hong Kong and the resulting disturbance in the autonomous state.
Details of the News:
- Lakhs of anti-government protesters gathered outside a train station in the area of Tsim Sha Tsui linking the area to the Chinese mainland. The terminus is controversial because Chinese law operates in the parts of the station dealing with immigration and customs, as well as the platforms, even though it is far from the border.
- The rally was the first major large-scale protest since last week’s unprecedented storming of parliament by young and masked protesters.
- Around 230,000 people made their way through streets in the harbour-front district of Tsim Sha Tsui, an area popular with Chinese tourists.
Background of the Crisis:
- The Hong Kong government’s pro-Chinese administrator recently introduced a Bill which allowed the Hong Kong government to extradite alleged criminals to mainland China for trial.
- This Bill was rejected and protested by the people of Hong Kong who allege that through this legislation the Chinese government would stifle opposition voices in Hong Kong.
- Although the Bill has been taken down as a result of protests but the protest has now evolved into a wider movement calling for democratic reforms and a halt to sliding freedoms in the semi-autonomous city.
- Protesters are demanding the postponed extradition bill be scrapped entirely, an independent inquiry into police use of tear gas and rubber bullets, amnesty for those arrested, and for the city's unelected administrator Carrie Lam to step down.
