Violent Hong Kong clashes not defined as a ‘riot’, says adviser to embattled leader Carrie Lam as others offer backing and call for another chance despite extradition bill debacle

An adviser to Hong Kong’s embattled leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said the government had never defined protesters’ clashes with police on Wednesday last week as a “riot”, contradicting previous comments from the chief executive and the head of the force.

Dr Lam Ching-choi, a member of the Executive Council, was speaking a day after the city’s leader issued a public apology over deficiencies in the government’s work in pushing forward its controversial extradition bill, which would allow the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong had no agreement, including mainland China.

Hours earlier, Exco convenor Bernard Chan had pleaded with the public to give Lam a second chance, calling on Hongkongers to focus on her “other vast achievements and hard work” over the past two years, after a sea of protesters brought the centre of the city to a standstill for the second Sunday in a row.

That rally finally ended on Monday morning as the remaining few hundred demonstrators packed up their gear and dismantled their barricades but by 5pm another crowd had blocked all lanes of Lung Wo Road near the government headquarters after a protest outside the Chief Executive’s Office spilled over. The protesters had earlier marched from the Legislative Council Complex to Lam’s office demanding a dialogue with her.

Lam also received the backing of a third Exco member, Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, who said in a statement he supported her in continuing to lead the city. He also said most students who took part in the recent protests were peaceful and rational.

Lam announced on Saturday that she was suspending the bill, but endorsed the police’s categorisation of clashes on Wednesday as a riot.