Hong Kong protests snarl morning rush
HONG KONG — Protesters in Hong Kong have snarled the morning rush hour by blocking train and platform doors to prevent trains from leaving stations.
Subway and train operator MTR said Monday that service had been partially suspended on four lines because of a number of door obstruction incidents.
It’s the third time in three weeks that protesters have disrupted train service. The action followed a weekend of clashes with police on the streets and ahead of a general strike and more demonstrations called for Monday afternoon.
While past nights of protest have ended in protracted standoffs between demonstrators and riot police, rally participants this time took a different tack. They occupied and vacated with equal swiftness five different neighborhoods.
“We can’t defend it!” was the cry that signaled to protesters it was time to move out. It meant that police had appeared and were firing tear gas. A person holding a large purple banner that said “Move Back Slowly” led demonstrators to the nearest public transit and toward another target.
Hong Kong’s summer of protest began as a call to withdraw an extradition bill that would have allowed residents in the city to be sent to mainland China to stand trial. Many feared the legislation would destroy the judicial independence essential to the “one country, two systems” framework, which promised Hong Kong certain freedoms not afforded to the mainland when the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.