Hong Kong school week kicks off with citywide student protests against anti-mask law arrests

Hundreds form human chains and stage sit-ins at schools across the city

Students angry after government demands schools provide a ‘rough impression’ of number of students wearing masks to school

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Students wear masks outside Shau Kei Wan government secondary school in Shau Kei Wan. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Chan Ho-him,Brian Wong,Kelly HoandJoanne Ma

Published: 1:19pm, 8 Oct 2019Updated: 11:41pm, 8 Oct 2019

Hundreds of secondary school students protested against Hong Kong’s anti-mask law on Tuesday in a show of solidarity with schoolmates arrested during the ongoing citywide protests.

Forming human chains and staging sit-ins, students across the city voiced support for peers arrested under the law since its introduction on Saturday.

Stoking students’ anger and prompting calls for a boycott of classes, the city’s Education Bureau demanded schools to provide a “rough impression” of the number of students wearing masks to school. The bureau on Tuesday night said most of the 440 schools they contacted said a minority of students wore masks today.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor introduced the law in a bid to quell violent protests, which were triggered by the now-withrdrawn extradition bill and have gripped the city for almost four months. Breaking the new law would carry a prison sentence of up to one year and a fine of HK$25,000 (US$3,187).

One of the youngsters arrested was a 12-year-old from CCC Kei Long College in Yuen Long, who was detained in Causeway Bay on Sunday night. The girl was seen shivering in video clips widely circulated online when she was arrested along with at least 20 other protesters.

Students wear masks during a protest outside Shau Kei Wan government secondary school. Photo: Xiaomei Chen