More than 1,200 protesters join rally outside Hong Kong’s legislature ahead of showdown meeting over controversial extradition bill
- Rally held ahead of Legco meeting at which two rival camps will fight for control of a committee vetting the bill
More than 1,200 people joined a protest outside Hong Kong’s legislature on Friday night to support opposition politicians fighting a controversial extradition bill on the eve of a showdown meeting with their pro-establishment rivals.
“Democracy cannot be bullied. Stand up for Hong Kong!” the protesters chanted at the rally organised by the Civil Human Rights Front and pan-democrat lawmakers.
The bill will allow the case-by-case transfer of fugitives with places Hong Kong does not have a formal extradition agreement with, including Taiwan and mainland China. Officials have stressed the urgency of passing it to allow the transfer of a Hong Kong murder suspect wanted in Taipei.
The bill, which was tabled more than a month ago, has stalled in the Legislative Council because of pan-democrats’ filibustering.
The government’s proposal to amend the extradition laws sparked concerns that anyone in the city, including travellers, could be transferred to the mainland for political reasons or inadvertent business offences.
The rally was held hours before a Legco meeting on Saturday morning in which the two rival camps would fight for control of a committee vetting the bill.
The pro-democracy camp was expected to stage its own committee meeting in parallel with another one recognised by the Legco secretariat.
Democrat James To Kun-sun, who presided over the first two meetings of the bills committee, was unseated earlier this week by the pro-government bloc through a vote arranged by the Legco secretariat. The pan-democrats have disavowed the result.
A source said they were likely to be divided into two teams, with one group trying to join the meeting chaired by pro-establishment lawmaker Abraham Razack.
At least eight pan-democrats lawmakers were expected to stay overnight in Legco to occupy two of the rooms that could be used for Saturday’s meeting.
“I still believe in the rule of law and procedures of Hong Kong,” To said. “And I believe the bright eyes of the citizens.”
To said he even received messages from pro-Beijing supporters, backing his opposition to the bill.
Lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen added: “Even if this evil law is passed, Taiwan will not accept it!”
Chan was referring to remarks by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council on Thursday that it would not agree to the transfer of murder suspect Chan Tong-kai, 20, if the extradition bill put Taiwanese citizens at risk of being sent to the mainland.
Police estimated the rally turnout at 1,250 at its peak while organisers did not give a figure.
Protester Helen Chow, who is in her 40s, said she attended to support James To.
“Of course, the government needs to shelve the extradition plan, so many are against it!” she said.
Retiree Jack Cheung said: “The judicial systems in Hong Kong and China are so different, how can this work?”
Another retiree, K.M. Cheng, 74, said: “The bill shouldn’t be allowed to pass, it’s a violation of human rights.”
Before the rally started at 8pm, Tam Tak-chi, an activist with localist party People Power, was arrested for setting up a banner in the middle of the road.
Police later said they arrested a man, surnamed Tam, 47, at around 6.30pm after he refused to remove the banner despite being given several oral warnings that it was blocking the sight of drivers.
He was arrested for obstructing public officers from doing their duty.
Around midnight around 20 police officers moved into the Legco demonstration zone and started to remove about a dozen protesters.
Minor scuffles ensued, but there were no reports of injuries. The clearing was completed in about 10 minutes, About 10 to 15 people then moved to the nearby Tim Mei Avenue, where they continued their protest.
