HK's Million-Strong Protest Against Extradition Law

Protesters face off with police in Hong Kong Wednesday. Image credit: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

Last week, Hong Kong was rocked by massive protests. 

More than one million citizens – although the government put the figure at about 240,000 – have repeatedly shut down the city’s main arteries and blockaded key buildings. This is in spite of the police responding with kettling, pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets. 

As of 5 PM on Thursday, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority said there were 81 casualties as a result of the protest. 

All because the Hong Kong government had put forward a Bill which would simplify case-by-case extraditions of "criminal" suspects to countries beyond the 20 with which Hong Kong has existing extradition treaties.

If passed, it would allow extraditions from Hong Kong to greater China – including the mainland, Taiwan and Macau, closing what Hong Kong government officials have repeatedly described as a "loophole" that they claim has allowed the city to become a haven for criminals from the mainland. 

In March, the government agreed to remove nine economic crimes from a total of 46 on the proposed extradition Bill – after pressure from the local business sector. This was because economic crimes are often used by China to pursue critics. 

In May, growing criticism led to more concessions. 

But the people of Hong Kong were not appeased. They saw this Bill as a further attack on their cherished political and legal autonomy, exercised under an arrangement known as “one country, two systems”. Furthermore, they feared China will use the proposed law to silence political opponents.

There were already small scattered demonstrations here and there. But last Sunday, they came out in numbers and the protest grew quickly into what was believed to be the largest protest since China reclaimed sovereignty of the city-state from Britain in 1997. 

Protests erupt in HK:

By Wednesday, the Hong Kong government postponed the Bill’s second reading. 

But Chief Executive Carrie Lam (left), the territory's top official and known to be pro-Beijing, was unperturbed. She was still very much adamant and stubbornly insisting to press ahead with the Bill, even calling the protest “organized riots".

From CNN – "We are back!":

Even so, demonstrators held their ground and clashes persisted. 

Yesterday, Lam announced the indefinite suspension of the controversial Bill although she refused to withdraw it completely. 

But what was interesting to see was the way the protesters organize themselves. 

From CNA – Hong Kong protesters take measures to go "under the radar":

I have this uncomfortable feeling that this is the start of something bigger and nastier.