Group of extradition bill protesters hold first press conference to counter Hong Kong government line on recent demonstrations

A group of young people supporting the anti-government protests which have shaken Hong Kong held its first press conference on Tuesday to counter the administration’s line on the unrest, but refused to be identified as the movement’s representatives. The address followed Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s announcement on Monday that the police would hold daily briefings on the extradition bill protests and that government departments would also give their own conferences when necessary. At the Tuesday event, held at a private location in Mong Kok, the three speakers gave their names as Mary, Linus and Jerry. The trio were aged 18 to 32 and only Jerry gave his occupation – student. Dressed in black and wearing masks and helmets, the three said they had organised online, using the mobile messaging app Telegram. They said they were not representatives of the movement, which has been mobilised online, and which lacks identifiable leaders. The protests – which were sparked by opposition to an extradition bill but have broadened to encompass wider disaffection with the authorities – have been joined by thousands of young protesters, many of them clad in trademark masks and black T-shirts. An announcement about the press conference was also posted on the online forum LIHKG – popular with protesters – on Monday night. In a statement released by the group, it said speakers decided to remain anonymous “for fear of prosecution”. “We make an urgent call for the government to not waste further public resources by holding daily press conferences,” Jerry said. “The public seeks the government’s direct response to the five major demands.” Hong Kong’s government and police ‘completely capable’ of protecting law and order: key Beijing official He was referring to the movement’s call for the government to fully withdraw the now-shelved extradition bill, launch an independent inquiry into the police’s use of force, reform the chief executive and Legislative Council elections, grant amnesty to all arrested protesters and retract the riot categorisation of extradition bill protests. He also said protesters would not be placated should the government respond only to some of the demands. The group’s statement said the press conference was not affiliated with any political party, or with any organisation leading the movement. Four men charged with possessing weapons at Hong Kong protest granted bail The aim of the press conference, which in future would feature members of the public, was to “act as a counterweight to the government’s monopoly on political discourse”. While Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the protests had taken a toll on Hong Kong’s economy due to shops and restaurants being forced to close, the group argued this was not the case. “Rather, the impact of the global economy on the trading and logistics industry should be the major cause for the slowdown in economic growth in the second quarter,” it said. Eight Chinese characters which have the Hong Kong government worried When asked how representative they were of those taking part in the protest movement, Jerry said: “We merely act as a platform for the people to show their voices.” Mary disclosed that more than 100 activists mobilised online were involved in drafting the statement. Asked if protesters’ actions had become too radical, Mary said: “Those are the actions of some protesters. We have no means to collect views and generate a stance now.” In recent protests, police stations were vandalised, with graffiti sprayed on walls and facilities damaged by bricks and other missiles. Meanwhile, Jerry said protesters would not confront the Chinese army directly, should the People’s Liberation Army’s Hong Kong garrison get involved in future protests. “We will go home and sleep,” he said. He also said eight extradition bill rallies that accompanied a mass strike on Monday had attracted about 300,000 people in total. A long-time LIHKG user who wished to remain anonymous said the civilian press conference should be a means to help the wider public understand protesters’ thinking. “I think the press conference’s target audience was [the movement’s] supporters, and did not attack the opposition’s position,” he said. He added that the speakers could better explain the movement’s position on pushing for the five demands, and why protesters would be unwilling to give up any of them.