Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents marched through the city on Sunday to protest a government plan that would allow extraditions to authorities in mainland China.

While the march was mostly peaceful, several hundred protesters clashed with police outside the city's parliament late in the day. The protesters charged police lines and hurled bottles in an attempt to force their way into the building, prompting police to use pepper spray to push them back.

Small groups of protesters pledged to camp out outside the assembly until Wednesday, when the disputed extradition bill is scheduled to have a second reading. However, they were cleared by the police when their permission to protest expired at midnight.

The event was one of the largest demonstrations in Hong Kong's history, with police estimating at least 240,000 participants. But organizers said around 1 million people took part.

Hong Kong: Extradition reforms mobilize angry protesters Shopping takes a back seat Hong Kong's busy shopping streets were packed with protesters angry at plans by the city's pro-Beijing government to allow extraditions to China. The proposals have sparked the biggest public backlash in years, bringing out several hundred thousand residents and prompting a huge security operation.

Hong Kong: Extradition reforms mobilize angry protesters Students in chains Several students wore chains and prison clothes to symbolize their opposition to the new legislation. The prospect of renditions to mainland China is a step too far for pro-democracy campaigners, who have demanded that Hong Kong keep the autonomy and freedoms guaranteed when the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997.

Hong Kong: Extradition reforms mobilize angry protesters New rules open to abuse The changes to extradition rules are meant to simplify the process for suspects to be transferred between Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and mainland China — as well as other countries where there is no extradition treaty. But opponents of the plan are concerned about the fairness and transparency of the Chinese court system and the risk of charges being contrived against Beijing's dissenters.

Hong Kong: Extradition reforms mobilize angry protesters Carry off Carrie Many protesters carried red banners depicting the faces of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and Secretary for Security John Lee, alongside slogans demanding they step down. One protester held a sign reading "Carry off Carrie." Lam has tweaked the proposals but has refused to withdraw the bill, saying it is vital to plug a long-standing "loophole."

Hong Kong: Extradition reforms mobilize angry protesters Amendments 'not enough' The government has attempted to address criticism by reducing the number of offenses eligible for extradition — removing nine economic crimes — as well as limiting the new law to offenses that carry prison sentences of seven years or more. The measure is also only applicable on a case-by-case basis. Requests will only be considered from China's top prosecuting authority.

Hong Kong: Extradition reforms mobilize angry protesters Widespread resistance Opposition to the proposed legislation has mobilized several sections of Hong Kong's community, including usually pro-establishment business people, lawyers, students, pro-democracy figures and religious groups. Many people told the international media on Sunday that this was their first time attending a protest. Outspoken pro-democracy activists, meanwhile, warned they may have to flee abroad.

Hong Kong: Extradition reforms mobilize angry protesters Protesters battle goes global Similar protests took place all over the world, including in Taipei, London, New York and Chicago. More than 1,000 demonstrators rallied in Sydney on Sunday in opposition to the plan, worried at the prospect that expatriates could be seized by Chinese authorities as they travel through Hong Kong. Foreign governments have also criticized the new law. Author: Nik Martin



'Turning point' for Hong Kong

In February, Hong Kong authorities proposed that the city's chief executive, Carrie Lam, be given powers to send fugitives and suspects to jurisdictions not covered by existing arrangements, including to mainland China and Taiwan. Current arrangements exclude China because of its poor legal and human rights record.

The proposed extradition law is one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in Hong Kong since a 2003 national security bill, which was scrapped by the authorities after at least half a million residents took to the streets to oppose it.

Organizers believe a large protest could force the government to shelve the controversial law.

James To, a veteran Democratic Party lawmaker, told Reuters on Saturday that a big turnout on Sunday could sway Hong Kong's government. "It could really force a severe rethink by the government," he said. "There is everything to play for … People really sense this is a turning point for Hong Kong."

But late on Sunday, the government said legislators should go ahead with the bill's second reading on Wednesday.

A previous rally in April drew at least 130,000 protesters, according to the Civil Human Rights Front.

Read more: Hong Kong lawmakers brawl over controversial extradition bill

Citizens speak out against the bill

Andy Chan, a pro-independence political activist and a founding member of the Hong Kong National Party, told DW that passing the bill would be a "big blow to Hong Kong."

Chan said he may have to leave the territory for his own safety, before acknowledging that "obtaining asylum in other countries is not an easy task and Hong Kong is my home."

Protester Hero Poon described the proposed law as "the worst ever." He said with China's "99% conviction rate," compared to Hong Kong's strong legal system, the extradition law might be used to prosecute political prisoners.

Those sentiments were echoed by Mrs. Hui, who moved from the mainland to Hong Kong 20 years ago. Describing China's legal system as "harsh and terrible," she told DW: "I have to oppose it [the extradition bill]."

However, Christopher Cheung, a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, supports the law change. He told DW that if the bill does not pass, Hong Kong could become "a criminal's paradise."

Hong Kong expats have planned protests in 28 cities around the world, including Taipei, where more than 100 students gathered on Sunday.

"In the future, I'm afraid that Hong Kong's outspoken young people would have to flee overseas like me," said Lam Wing Kei, the former owner of Causeway Bay Books, a Hong Kong bookstore famous for selling books on China's banned literature and history.

Protesters held placards bearing images of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam

Growing international opposition

Hong Kong authorities have come under immense pressure from the international community to ditch the extradition bill. The foreign ministers of Germany and the UK have spoken against the bill, while 11 European Union envoys recently met Chief Executive Lam to formally protest the law.

The International Chamber of Commerce to the EU office in Hong Kong and the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission also voiced serious concerns about the controversial extradition bill.

On Saturday, the US State Department said that it was "closely monitoring" the Hong Kong government's proposed amendments to the law.

Read more: Hong Kong umbrella movement leaders say 'freedom is on trial'

Are the amendments necessary?

Some protesters are even calling for Lam to step down, saying she has "betrayed" the city. But Lam insists the changes to the extradition law are necessary to close the "loophole" under which the government has been unable to extradite a Hong Kong citizen, Chan Tong-kai, who is accused of killing his girlfriend in Taiwan last year.

Taiwan authorities, however, are against any change to the extradition law. They said Friday they have no intention of asking Hong Kong to return Chan because they are concerned the proposed extradition law changes would put its citizens at risk of being taken away by China.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 1997: Historic moment The handover of Hong Kong's sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place on July 1, 1997. The territory on China's Pearl River Delta became a British colony in 1842 and was occupied by Japan during World War II. After Hong Kong's return to China, the political situation was described as "one country, two systems."

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 1999: No family reunions Divided families, who had been split by the Hong Kong border, had hoped to be reunited after the territory's return to China. But with a daily quota of only 150 mainland Chinese allowed to settle in Hong Kong, many were left disapointed. This photo from 1999 shows mainland Chinese visitors protesting outside Hong Kong's Legal Aid Department after they were denied residency permits.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2002: Dashed hopes The residency issue flared up again in April 2002 when Hong Kong began deporting some 4,000 mainland Chinese who had lost legal battles to stay in the territory. These desperate families were evicted from a central park where they had been protesting.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2003: The SARS pandemic hits In 2003, the highly contagious SARS virus spread through Hong Kong. The territory was hard hit by the flu-like virus and in March, the WHO declared it a pandemic. This man attended Doctor Tse Yuen-man's funeral in May. Dr. Tse had volunteered to care for SARS patients and had contracted the virus herself. Hong Kong was declared SARS-free in June 2003. Almost 300 people had died of the disease.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2004: Rally for democracy China's policy of "one country, two systems" has often created tension. In 2004, on the seventh anniversary of the handover, hundreds of thousands of people protested in Hong Kong, demanding political reform. They were calling for democracy and direct elections for Hong Kong's next leader.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2008: No place to live Soaring property prices in Hong Kong forced rents higher. By 2008, it wasn't unusual to see people like Kong Siu-kau living in so-called "cage homes," 15-square-foot (1.4 square meters) wire mesh cubicles, eight of which were usually crammed into one room. Today an estimated 200,000 people call a wire cage, or a single bed in a shared apartment, home.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2009: Remembering Tiananmen Square On the twentieth anniversary of the government's brutal crackdown in Tiananmen Square, Hong Kong residents gathered for a candlelight vigil in Victoria Park. It showed how different Hong Kong is from China, where the massacre of pro-democracy supporters and students on June 4, 1989, is usually only referred to as the June Fourth Incident.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2014: Occupy Central Starting in September 2014, large-scale protests demanding more autonomy rocked Hong Kong for over two months. Beijing had announced that China would decide on the candidates for the 2017 election of Hong Kong's chief executive. The protests were referred to as the Umbrella Revolution, because protesters used umbrellas to fend off pepper spray and tear gas used by police.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2015: Sport becomes political Less than a year after the Occupy Central protests ended, China played against Hong Kong in a soccer World Cup qualifiying match on November 17, 2015. The guests did not receive a friendly welcome in Hong Kong. Fans booed when the Chinese national anthem was played and held up posters saying "Hong Kong is not China." The match ended 0-0.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2016: Another bout of violence In February 2016, Hong Kong's rough police tactics made headlines again. Authorities tried to remove illegal street vendors from a working-class Hong Kong neighborhood. They sent riot police, who used batons and pepper spray against protesters, and also fired live warning shots into the air. The street clashes were the worst since the Umbrella Revolution in 2014. Author: Carla Bleiker



Lee Ming-che, a Taiwanese activist, is currently serving a five-year sentence in China after being convicted by a Chinese court in November 2017 on charges of subverting state powers.

Former legislator Leung Kwok-hung said last month the proposed law would remove Hong Kong's "freedom from fear."

"Hong Kong people and visitors passing by Hong Kong will lose their right not to be extradited to mainland China," Leung said. "They would then face an unjust legal system on the mainland."

Read more: Hong Kong pro-democracy protest leaders sentenced

Beijing tightens grip on China

Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 after 99 years under British colonial rule. The "one country, two systems" principle underpins the reunification process and allows the territory relative autonomy in the 50-year transition period.

Read more: Hong Kong moves to criminalize insults to Chinese national anthem

But more than 20 years into the process, critics are concerned Chinese authorities are already tightening their grip on political and social life.

In 2012, a report on freedom of the press in Hong Kong showed it had deteriorated alarmingly, with five journalists detained by police "without concrete evidence."

Chinese authorities have clamped down on pro-democracy demonstrations in recent years. Last September, the government banned the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party (HKNP). Its leader, Andy Chan, was disqualified from running for elections, after officials insisted that advocating for independence goes against the territory's Basic Law.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned against threats to the authority of Beijing. He has vowed to stop separatist movements from violating territorial integrity, saying he "will never allow any person, any group, any political party" to divide the country.

amp, mm, shs/jm (Reuters, dpa)

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