Hong Kong protests: Huawei among firms to close shops in New Town Plaza mall after being targeted by demonstrators over mainland China links

New strategy sees demonstrators descend on stores and restaurants deemed to have connections to Beijing, police or Hong Kong government

About 1,000 protesters gather at shopping centre, some splintering off to vent anger at retailers

Reading Time:3 minutes

Hundreds gathered for a ‘singing protest’ in a Sha Tin shopping centre, with some demonstrators taking their cause directly to retailers judged to have links to their opponents. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 3:21pm, 22 Sep 2019Updated: 1:09am, 23 Sep 2019

Telecoms giant Huawei was among the firms to close their shops in Hong Kong malls on Sunday after they were targeted by protesters over mainland China connections.

Anti-government demonstrators descended on the New Town Plaza shopping centre in Sha Tin, some of whom turned their ire on stores and restaurants that are owned by pro-Beijing supporters or deemed to be opponents of the anti-government movement.

Dozens of retailers also shut up shop in V Walk mall in Sham Shui Po following a similar boycott campaign there.

In Sha Tin, a group seized the Chinese national flag from outside the city hall, which they then smeared with paint, trod on and dragged across the floor of the mall before dumping it in a nearby river.

After an hour of “singing protest” involving about 1,000 activists, hundreds earlier broke off to march through the New Town Plaza under a “shop with you” demonstration, a new form of direct action in opposition to the Hong Kong government and its now-withdrawn extradition bill.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x