Hong Kong protesters disrupt MTR services, declare ‘dawn of anti-epidemic’ strikes over government’s handling of Wuhan coronavirus outbreak
- East Rail line to Hong Kong-mainland border hit by delays after objects and a fire seen on the tracks
- Demonstrators target road and rail over the government’s border arrangements amid virus outbreak
Small groups of radical protesters in Hong Kong disrupted road traffic and rail services to mainland China on Wednesday morning in a reminder that the anti-government campaign of the past seven months was far from over.
Police said they arrested 17 people, including 12 aged below 18 years, in different districts.
There was no mass response to calls from anti-government activists for citywide action, but small groups targeted public transport, with a train driver reporting a fire near the tracks of the East Rail line, which links Kowloon with the mainland.
Earlier, protesters had promised the “dawn of anti-epidemic” action if the government did not close all of Hong Kong’s borders in response to the coronavirus epidemic, which has killed more than 130 on the mainland.