Opposition lawmakers forced out of Hong Kong’s legislative chamber after occupying it for six hours ahead of protest against controversial extradition bill
- They had vowed to camp there until Sunday to draw more people to a mass protest over bill
- Legco Commission ruled they had breached the regulations on the use of conference rooms and took action
Five opposition lawmakers who occupied the chamber of Hong Kong’s legislature on Thursday to protest against the government’s extradition bill were forcibly removed after almost six hours of drama.
The lawmakers were removed after the Legislative Council Commission, chaired by Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen, held a special meeting and ruled the group had breached the regulations on the use of conference rooms.
Legco was occupied just two days before tens of thousands of people were expected to join a protest against the bill on Sunday. Police would deploy 1,600 officers for the rally amid fears social media users were encouraging protesters to turn violent, a source said.
The bill, if passed, would allow the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions Hong Kong does not have an extradition deal with, including the mainland and Taiwan. Critics fear Beijing could use the new arrangement to target political opponents, or that suspects would be sent to jurisdictions where a fair trial was not guaranteed.