Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam sticks to her guns on police inquiry but vows no more protesters will be taken to San Uk Ling Holding Centre

Ordinary Hong Kong citizens on Thursday took the city’s embattled leader at her word about being willing to listen to them in her first town hall dialogue in more than three months of anti-government protests and violence, condemning her failures and demanding solutions to end a crippling political and social crisis.

In an unprecedented event held under tight security at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai, many were as candid as they were critical, grilling Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on why, after making a U-turn to announce the formal withdrawal of the extradition bill that sparked the crisis, she would not give in to protesters’ remaining demands, the most overwhelming being an independent inquiry into allegations of police brutality.

Security was tight for the event, with police sources saying more than 3,000 officers had been deployed – at least 100, many in full riot gear, were seen entering the stadium before the 7pm start.

More than 130 participants, picked randomly from more than 20,200 who had applied, had to pass through metal detectors and have their bags screened by X-ray machines. Helmets and gas masks, the signature gear of radical frontline protesters, were banned, and no bottles of any kind were allowed inside.

While roads around the venue had been cleared in advance to prevent chaos, protesters still gathered outside to shout slogans, yelling abuse at police and pointing lasers at them, while those inside took Lam to task.