Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
The latest Hong Kong protests were over the issue of traders from mainland China.
Violent clashes erupt at demonstration’s end
HONG KONG — Violent clashes broke out after several thousand people marched in Hong Kong against traders from mainland China in what is fast becoming a summer of unrest in the semi-autonomous territory.
After issuing a warning, police on Saturday moved forward to disperse the crowd of mostly young protesters, who say peaceful demonstrations have failed to bring about change.
Police used pepper spray and batons. In panicky scenes, fleeing protesters scrambled over each other, some falling to the ground. Some had donned protective masks and helmets ahead of the confrontation.
Major demonstrations in the past month against a proposal to change extradition laws that would allow Hong Kong suspects to stand trial in mainland China have reawakened other movements in the city. Thousands marched last weekend against middle-aged mainland women who sing loudly and dance somewhat provocatively in a public park.
The protests have a common refrain: Hong Kong’s government, led by a non-democratically elected chief executive, is not addressing the people’s concerns.
The city’s leader, Carrie Lam, has pledged to do a better job of listening to all sectors of society, but many protesters want her to resign.
Her government proposed legislation in February that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to China. The proposal ignited concerns that the rights and freedoms guaranteed to the former British colony for 50 years after its 1997 return to China are being chipped away.
Lam suspended the legislation indefinitely after protesters blocked the legislature on June 12, preventing the Legislative Council from meeting to debate the extradition bill. Faced with continuing protests, she declared the bill “dead” on Tuesday, but protesters remain unsatisfied, demanding it be formally withdrawn.
The march Saturday took place in Sheung Shui, a district that lies across the border from the mainland city of Shenzhen. Organizer Ronald Leung, a leader of the North District Parallel Imports Concern Group, said residents have been complaining about the issue of Chinese traders for many years.
“Citizens are really angry,” he said.