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More than 230,000 take to the streets of Kowloon for the first time against Hong Kong’s extradition bill, organiser says
- Security strengthened at West Kowloon station as police and MTR Corp brace for trouble, with organisers claiming turnout is bigger than expected
- Passengers at high-speed rail link face serious disruption hours before march even begins
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More than 230,000 protesters took to the streets of Kowloon on Sunday for the first time against the Hong Kong government’s now-suspended extradition bill, according to organisers.
They said they had kept their promise to ensure the rally was peaceful as the aim was to give a good impression to mainland Chinese visitors whose support they were seeking.
Organisers said the attendance was higher than expected, as crowds gathered at Salisbury Garden, prompting the rally to kick off at 3.30pm, about 30 minutes ahead of the official time. Police said the turnout peaked at 56,000.
Along the way, thousands spilled into lanes stretching from Nathan Road, after a long wait for their turn to move amid the lumbering procession.
The march was the latest major protest calling for the full withdrawal of the hated extradition bill, which would have allowed the transfer of fugitives from the city to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong has no such arrangement.
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Minutes before the assembly began, organiser and localist Ventus Lau Wing-hong said more people had joined in solidarity with protesters who had stormed the legislature on July 1.
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“I believe the residents who came out today want to tell the government that they are united and won’t be split,” he added.
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