HONG KONG - Thousands of protesters took to Hong Kong’s streets Sunday, a day after violent clashes between anti-government protesters and police, and as China’s official news agency warned Beijing will not let the situation in the Asian financial hub continue.
The Chinese-controlled city has been rocked by months of protests against a proposed bill to allow people to be extradited to stand trial in mainland China and a general strike aimed at bringing the city to a halt is planned for Monday.
Police said in a statement early Sunday that they had arrested more than 20 people for offenses overnight including unlawful assembly and assault.
On Saturday, police fired multiple tear gas rounds in confrontations with black-clad activists in the city’s Kowloon area. On Sunday, thousands of demonstrators marched peacefully in the town of Tseung Kwan O in the New Territories brandishing colorful banners and leaflets.
Dressed in black, the protesters cheered as they called for a mass strike across Hong Kong Monday.
Henry Tong, wearing a helmet and a first aid vest associated with the anti-extradition bill protests, poses for pictures with his wife, Elaine To, after getting married in Hong Kong, Aug. 4, 2019. The placard reads,"Let's go for it together."
Government unresponsive
“We’re trying to tell the government to (withdraw) the extradition bill and to police to stop the investigations and the violence,” said Gabriel Lee, a 21-year-old technology student.
Lee said what made him most angry was that the government was not responding to any of the protesters’ demands or examining the police violence.
Protesters Saturday set fires in the streets, outside a police station and in rubbish bins, and blocked the entrance to the Cross-Harbor Tunnel, cutting a major artery linking Hong Kong island and the Kowloon peninsula.
Major shops in the popular tourist and commercial area Nathan Road, normally packed on a Saturday, were shuttered including 7-11 convenience stores, jewelry chain Chow Tai Fook and watch brands Rolex and Tudor.
Warning from mainland
What started as an angry response to the now-suspended extradition bill, has expanded to demands for greater democracy and the resignation of leader Carrie Lam.
The protests have become the most serious political crisis in Hong Kong since it returned to Chinese rule 22 years ago after being governed by Britain.
Thousands of civil servants joined in the anti-government protests on Friday for the first time since they started in June, defying a warning from authorities to remain politically neutral.
The protests mark the biggest popular challenge to Chinese leader Xi Jinping since he took office in 2012.
China’s official news agency Xinhua wrote on Sunday that the “central government will not sit idly by and let this situation continue. We firmly believe that Hong Kong will be able to overcome the difficulties and challenges ahead. “
Hong Kong has been allowed to retain extensive freedoms, such as an independent judiciary but many residents see the extradition bill as the latest step in a relentless march toward mainland control.
Economic toll
Months of demonstrations are taking a growing toll on the city’s economy, as local shoppers and tourists avoid parts of one of the world’s most famous shopping destinations.
Matthew Wang, a 22-year-old marketing executive for a multinational corporation, said that the government was “encouraging people to become more radical to affect decision making because they are not addressing any of the demands.”