HK COPS SLAM SIEGE OF HQ
Police vow to pursue ringleaders of 15-hour blockade
POLICE yesterday vowed to pursue the ringleaders of a 15-hour blockade of their headquarters that involved thousands of anti-government demonstrators as a push to oust the city’s pro-Beijing leader evolves.
The largely young protesters surrounded the headquarters throughout Friday and into the small hours of yesterday, the latest manifestation of angry demonstrations sweeping the city here.
The international finance hub has been rocked by the worst political unrest since its 1997 handover to China.
Millions have marched this month to oppose a hugely unpopular proposed law that would have allowed extraditions to the Chinese mainland.
Officers also used tear gas and rubber bullets last week to clear protesters during another massive demonstration outside the city’s Parliament, fanning widespread anger at police.
The spark for the current wave of protests was an attempt by Chief Executive Carrie Lam to pass the Beijing-backed extradition law, which she has postponed following the huge public backlash.
But the demonstrations have morphed into a wider movement against Lam’s administration and Beijing after years of sliding political freedoms.
Protest leaders plan to hold another huge rally on July 1 but student-led groups, communicating through encrypted messaging apps, have begun embracing spontaneous, fast-moving acts of civil disobedience.
“We need to flow like water,” one protester called Chris said, espousing a famous philosophy from martial arts superstar and local legend Bruce Lee.
In a statement yesterday, police called the protest “illegal, irrational and unreasonable”, saying it would “stringently follow up” on those behind the blockade.