Protests against Chinese traders lead to clashes

HONG KONG — Several thousand people marched in Hong Kong on Saturday against traders from mainland China in what is fast becoming a summer of unrest in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.

Violent clashes broke out at the end of the march between police and a group of mostly young protesters who say they believe peaceful demonstrations have failed to bring about change.

After issuing a warning, police moved forward to disperse the crowd with 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.

Earlier, walking behind a banner that read “Strictly enforce the law, stop crossborder traders,” the marchers passed by pharmacies and cosmetic shops that are popular with Chinese tourists and traders who bring goods back to sell in the mainland. Many of the stores were shuttered because of the protest.

Major demonstrations in the past month against a proposal to change extradition laws have reawakened other movements in Hong Kong. Thousands marched last weekend against middleaged 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 nondemocratically elected chief executive, is not addressing the people’s concerns.

Amy Chan, a 25yearold bank employee who joined Saturday’s march, called it a continuing action building on the momentum of the antiextradition law protests.

“There isn’t an antiextradition protest every day to keep us going,” she said. “I hope that through today’s action, people in Hong Kong will not forget that there are actually many other social issues waiting to be solved.”

The city’s leader, Carrie Lam, has pledged to do a better job of listening to all sectors of society, but many want her to resign. Her government proposed legislation in February that would have allowed suspects to be extradited to China to face trial.

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protests, she declared the bill “dead” on Tuesday, but protesters remain unsatisfied, demanding it be formally withdrawn.

Dake Kang and Nadia Lam are Associated Press writers.

Anthony Kwan / Getty Images Police officers use pepper spray to disperse protesters after a rally in Hong Kong’s Sheung Shui district, where thousands of young people rallied against traders from mainland Chinese.