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.