Protests in Hong Kong on China’s 70th anniversary
On 1 October, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest against the Chinese government. The protests turned violent, and one campaigner was shot. He is now recovering in hospital. The demonstrations took place on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China – a major celebration for the country.
Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous region of China, which means it is part of China but has control over some of its own rules and has a separate political and legal system. This was part of a deal made when the UK ended its rule of Hong Kong in 1997 and returned control of the country to China.
The demonstrations in Hong Kong first erupted in June, when the government tried to introduce a law that meant suspected criminals could be taken to China to face trial. People in Hong Kong were unhappy because they thought the rule could be used unfairly to send innocent people to China, where laws are very strict. The plan for the law was dropped but now people are protesting for greater freedom.