Hong Kong protesters appeal to leaders
Call for discussion of issues at G-20 summit
HONG KONG — Thousands of people joined Hong Kong’s latest rally Wednesday night against legislation they fear would erode the city’s freedoms, capping a daylong appeal to world leaders ahead of a G-20 summit that brings together the heads of China, the United States and other major nations later this week.
Below neon-lit skyscrapers, the peaceful crowd of all ages listened to speeches in a public square and then in unison held up their smartphones with their lights on. A big sign read “Free Hong Kong Democracy Now.” The police presence was light, a few officers watching from a distance.
After the rally’s end, younger protesters, some of whom have been more militant, headed to the nearby police headquarters, where they stood outside shouting demands for an independent inquiry into a heavy-handed police crackdown at a protest earlier this month.
The protests were sparked by proposed legislative changes that would allow suspects to be extradited from Hong Kong to mainland China for trial. Many fear the proposals would erode Hong Kong’s judicial independence and the civil liberties the semi-autonomous city was guaranteed after its handover from British rule in 1997.
The government suspended debate on the legislation indefinitely after earlier protests, but activists are demanding that it be withdrawn completely.
Earlier Wednesday, several hundred delivered petitions to the consulates of several G-20 countries. A sign addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron asked him to back up Hong Kong at the twoday meeting, which opens Friday in Osaka, Japan.
Outside the U.S. Consulate, some protesters held up signs reading “President Trump — Please Liberate Hong Kong.” The U.S. president is due to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the summit.
Beijing has strongly opposed any discussion of the issue at the G-20 summit, saying Hong Kong matters are an internal Chinese affair. The city of 7.4 million people is a territory of China.
“I can tell you that for sure the G-20 will not discuss the issue of Hong Kong and we will not allow the G-20 to discuss the issue of Hong Kong,” Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Jun said Monday.