HK elders march in support of young demonstrators
Published on: Thursday, July 18, 2019
By: AP
HONG KONG: HONG KONG: Some 2,000 Hong Kong senior citizens, including a popular actress, marched Wednesday in a show of support for youths at the forefront of monthlong protests against a contentious extradition bill in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.The seniors also slammed the police for their handling of a protest Sunday in Hong Kong’s Sha Tin district. That protest was mostly peaceful but ended in mayhem when violent scuffles in a shopping mall saw dozens injured, including a policeman who had a finger bitten off, and over 40 people detained.ADVERTISEMENT
On Wednesday, Veteran actress and singer Deannie Ip said police shouldn’t use heavy-handed tactics against young protesters, who “have no guns” and were peacefully expressing their frustrations.
“They are young people and they are doing the right thing. Why are they being mistreated?” she said.
Ip and several others held a banner reading “Support youth to protect Hong Kong” as they marched through a financial district. Wearing white tops and black pants, they held placards that read “Never give up” and “Stay together.” Some elders in wheelchairs also joined the march.
Hong Kong has been jolted for over a month by a series of large-scale and occasional violent protests amid widespread anger over a proposed extradition law that would send suspects to mainland China to face trials. The bill is seen as a threat to Hong Kong’s freedoms that were guaranteed for 50 years when China took back control of the former British colony in 1997.ADVERTISEMENT
Even though Hong Kong’s embattled leader, Carrie Lam, suspended the bill and declared the legislation “dead,” it failed to placate the protesters, who have demanded Lam’s resignation. Tens of thousands have continued to take to the streets, with the protests expanding into a bigger movement against China’s growing intrusion into the territory.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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The senior citizens Wednesday repeated demands for the legislation to be formally withdrawn, for the release of dozens of people detained and for an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality against protesters.
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More protests have been planned, which could cause further instability in the global financial hub. – AP