
Hong Kong protest figurehead Joshua Wong was freed from jail a month early on Monday and immediately called for the resignation of leader Carrie Lam over a controversial extradition bill.

Mr Wong, who led pro-democracy protests in 2014, vowed to join fresh demonstrations which saw two million people rally Sunday against the new law which would increase Beijing's control over the autonomous territory.

'I will join to fight against this evil law,' Mr Wong said, before adding: 'I believe this is the time for her, Carrie Lam the liar, to step down.'

On Saturday, Ms Lam suspended work on the bill, which would allow some suspects to be sent for trial in mainland China.

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Joshua Wong, 22, a student activist who became the face of the 2014 pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong, was released from jail a month early on Monday amid fresh demonstrations against a controversial extradition bill

Mr Wong gave a speech to waiting journalists in which he vowed to join the new demonstrations and immediately called for Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's leader, to resign

Branding Ms Lam a 'liar', Mr Wong called on countries around the world to support activists in Hong Kong who he said 'face prosecution and also physical assault from the police force'

Ms Lam on Saturday suspended her efforts to force passage of the bill, which would allow for easier extradition of accused criminals to mainland China to face prosecution there, amid mass demonstrations

An estimated 2million people took to the streets in Hong Kong on Sunday, with a handful camping out overnight close to the Legislative Council, where they remained on Monday morning (pictured)

In a statement, Demosisto - the party he co-founded - said the activist, now 22, would be released from Lai Chi Kok Correctional Institute at 10.30am. He was greeted by more than 10 members of the party when he was released

Joshua Wong, who was just released from jail, walks past flower tributes at a makeshift memorial site for a protester who fell to his death while hanging banners against a controversial extradition law

Floral tributes have been laid as a makeshift memorial to the protester who died falling from the roof of a shopping centre while trying to unveil a banner calling for the end of the extradition bill and the release of prisoners

The protester who died is seen climbing on the outside of a building shortly before he fell to his death

Mr Wong was released from prison early Monday and gave a short speech to journalists, before going to the Hong Kong Legislative Council building (pictured) where he held a rally

Mr Wong uses two microphones to speak to protesters on Monday, after they had called for his early release from prison

Protesters cheer as they listen to a speech by pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong

Many demonstrators spent the night sleeping outside the Legislative Council building following mass demonstrations on Sunday which saw up to 2million people on the streets

Protesters rest on a road having spent all night on the streets as they demand a controversial extradition bill be dropped

The move did not appease Hong Kong residents angered over the plan who see it as one of many steps chipping away at Hong Kong's freedoms and legal autonomy.

Following a mass-march on Sunday, a handful of mostly-young protesters remained Monday, blocking a street near the city's waterfront outside Lam's office and chanting for her to give up the proposed legislation.

Hong Kong's extradition laws Hong Kong currently has extradition agreements with 19 foreign countries - including the UK, US and Australia - but not with China. The proposed law change would allow extradition to all countries where Hong Kong does not already have a formal treaty in place, including China by default. While courts would oversee each request on a case-by-case basis, the ultimate authority to grant or deny a request would rest with Hong Kong's chief executive - currently Carrie Lam. Since the chief executive is accountable by law to Beijing, many fear that they would have little option but to approve Chinese requests. Protesters say this would allow Beijing to seize anyone it likes who sets foot in the territory, from permanent residents to foreigners passing through. Advertisement

Protesters blocked some roads well into Monday morning, but gradually yielded to police requests to reopen roads, moving to areas near the city's government headquarters.

Lam announced that work on the bill would be suspended after large protests last week, but the legislation has touched a nerve not easily soothed in a city anxious over the increasingly authoritarian Communist rule of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

'We are very angry that Carrie Lam has not responded to the demands of all the protesters, but now is the time to talk about strategy,' Lee Cheuk-yan, a former legislator and activist, said.

'Talk about strategy is about how to make the whole struggle into a long-term struggle and not a day struggle.

'So if Carrie Lam does not respond to the demands by the protesters, people will come back and the struggle will continue.'

Critics fear the Beijing-backed law will entangle people in China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and damage the city's reputation as a safe business hub, and so they want it scrapped entirely.

Wong serves as secretary-general of pro-democracy party Demosistō, having previously founded student activist group Scholarism which led the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement.

In 2017, he was jailed alongside two other pro-democracy activists for their role in the demonstrations.

Protests have seen many thousands of those on the streets holding umbrellas, which demonstrators used in 2014 to dispel police pepper spray and have since become a symbol of passive resistance.

Demonstrators gather near the Legislative Council as they continue to protest against the unpopular extradition bill today

A member of Hong Kong's Executive Council says the city's leader plans to apologise again over her handling of the bill

Activists (pictured resting early on Monday) fear the new bill will expand China's control over Hong Kong, which has been an autonomous territory since Britain ended its rule over the region in 1997

The protests, which has lasted for more than a week, is the largest demonstration in the history of the former British colony

A woman with a mask gathers with others near the Legislative Council. Protesters want the bill to be abandoned completely

Protesters sleep on a highway in Hong Kong after a demonstration against the now-suspended extradition bill

Police arrive to negotiate with protesters to clear a road in Hong Kong early Monday morning following the demonstration

A woman holds a union flag as protesters camped out overnight along a main road near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong

vProtesters sleep on a road as they rally against a controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong early on Monday

People protesting against the extradition bill, hold placards as they rest outside the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong

People walk past a bridge opposite the Legislative Council building which has become a focal point for protesters and has been covered in messages and posters

Protesters are calling for the extradition bill to be dropped and for Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to step down

Protesters take part in a rally to demand a complete withdrawal of an extradition bill in Hong Kong, China

Protest organisers estimated that nearly two million of the city's seven million-strong population turned out, while police said 338,000 people were counted on the designated protest route during the march's 'peak period'

Protesters sit on a road outside the Legislative Council building during a rally demanding a complete withdrawal of an extradition bill in Hong Kong, China

Protesters rest outside the Legislative Council building during a rally demanding a complete withdrawal of an extradition bill in Hong Kong, China

Protesters gather into the night against an unpopular extradition bill in Hong Kong. Protest organisers estimated that nearly two million of the city's seven million-strong population turned out, while police said 338,000 people were counted on the designated protest route during the march's 'peak period'

These women knelt at the scene and appeared to be in tears as they made their own tributes to the fallen protester

After night had fallen, dozens more flowers had appeared near where the man fell at the Pacific Place shopping centre in the Admiralty district. Above: a little boy clutches an enormous bouquet of flowers as he prepares to lay it with the hundreds which are already there

Protesters light candles in honour of a man who died after falling from a scaffolding at the Pacific Place complex while protesting, during a demonstration demanding Hong Kong's leaders to step down and withdraw the extradition bill

Protesters perform during a protest against the now-suspended extradition bill on June 16, 2019 in Hong Kong, China

Demonstrators stepped up their demands for Lam to resign Sunday after a man died a day earlier in a fall after unveiling a banner on the roof of a shopping mall.

The 35-year-old man - whose surname was given as Leung - had hung a banner off the roof of Pacific Place shopping mall, in the Admiralty district, which overlooks the site of violent clashes last week between police and demonstrators.

The man had stood for hours atop construction scaffolding beside a sign that said 'Make love No shoot! No Extradition to China'.

A video circulating on social media shows the man abruptly climbing over the scaffolding before falling as firefighters tried to grab him on Saturday evening.

They clutched his clothes and he slips through their hands, missing a jump raft that had been inflated on the ground below. Police are treating the case as suicide.

A 35-year-old man, identified as Leung, is seen protesting with a banner hung off the roof of Pacific Place shopping mall in the Admiralty district on Saturday. The building overlooks the site of violent clashes last week between police and demonstrators

An inflatable mattress is placed beneath the man as he stands beside a sign 'Make love No shoot! No Extradition to China'

The man, who was wearing a yellow raincoat, falls from the building after abruptly climbing over the scaffolding. Firefighters clutched his clothes but he slipped through their hands, missing the jump raft that had been inflated on the ground below

Hundreds of thousands of people flooded Hong Kong in a rally against the controversial bill, which would have allowed people to be sent to mainland china for trial

Yesterday, the chief executive of the Hong Government, Carrie Lam, suspended the bill following the protests which have wracked the region. Above: Protesters hold posters with 'Stop Killing Us' written on them earlier today

Protesters, dressed mostly in black, marched in Hong Kong today, just a day after government chief executive Carrie Lam suspended the controversial extradition bill

The show of defiance from the people of Hong Kong saw hundreds of thousands remain on the streets even as night fell

He had unfurled a banner saying: 'Entirely withdraw China extradition bill. We were not rioting. Release students and the injured'.

Thousands of mourners, mostly young people dressed in black, joined enormous queues along busy roads to leave tributes and pay their respects, some crying and bowing as they offered sticks of incense.

Next to a large pile of white flowers were hundreds of hand-written messages, lines of gifts laid out in offering including a bottle of single malt whiskey, and a white hard hat with the word 'hero' written across it.

'The flowers are white for purity and so we can show our respect for the dead. When I get there, I will offer these and say a prayer for him,' said 18-year-old Travis.

Above: Three protesters stand next to a poster demanding 'No China Extradition'. Its message was echoed by thousands of other similar placards which were seen across the city

Organisers' hopes of another mammoth turnout rally today to keep pressure on Ms Lam proved to be correct as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets

An hour before the march was due to start subway stations were filled with dense crowds of black-clad protesters making their way to the start. Above: Protesters hold white flowers and hold posters, including one (right), mocked up in Game of Thrones style, dubbing Hong Kong's leaders as a 'Gang of Tyranny'

Last week's violent clashes had seen police fire rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray at protesters. Above: Thousands of protesters carrying umbrellas take to a sporting area today

'He walked a bloody road, I admire his energy, I admire his bravery,' said a man called Yung, aged 26.

Signs reading 'Help Hong Kong. No extradition to China. RIP' have been posted at the site.

Protest organizers said almost 2 million people turned out on Sunday to demand that Lam resign, in what is becoming the most significant challenge to China's relationship with the territory since it was handed back by Britain 22 years ago.

The mass rally, which police said drew 338,000 participants, forced Lam to apologize over her plans to push through the extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China to face trial.

On Monday, protest organizers said they wanted Lam to withdraw the bill, release arrested students, drop the official description of Wednesday's rally as a riot, and step down.

Hong Kong opposition politicians echoed marchers' calls for both Lam and the proposed law to go.

'Her government cannot be an effective government, and will have much, much, much difficulties to carry on,' veteran Democratic Party legislator James To told government-funded broadcaster RTHK.

'I believe the central people's government will accept her resignation.'

However, the official China Daily said Beijing's leaders would continue to back Lam, as it lashed out at foreign 'meddling' in the crisis.

Critics of the proposed extradition bill fear the Beijing-backed extradition law will tangle people up in China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and damage the city's reputation as a safe business hub. Above: Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents, mostly clad in black, jammed the city's streets and unfurled an enormous white banner

The conflict is one of the toughest tests of the territory's special status since China took control in a 1997 handover. Above: Protesters carry the banner through the streets

In amazing scenes in Hong Kong today hundreds of thousands of protesters shouted slogans as they marched through the centre of Hong Kong

China's support for Lam will 'not waver, not in the face of street violence nor the ill-intentioned interventions of foreign governments,' the newspaper said in an editorial.

While Lam delayed the bill, it has yet to be completely shelved.

'We cannot accept her apology, it doesn't remove all our threats,' said social worker Brian Chau, one of several hundred protesters who stayed overnight in the Admiralty district around the government headquarters and legislature.

Some demonstrators cleared rubbish left after the vast, but peaceful, march while others sang 'Hallelujah', a gospel song that has become the unofficial anthem of protesters against Lam.

The headquarters will stay closed on Monday, the government said. A group of uniformed police stood by without riot gear, in contrast to their appearance during recent skirmishes with protesters.

The proposed extradition bill - and the fear that it threatens Hong Kong's way of life, freedom of speech and rule of law - has provoked some of the worst politically-motivated violence in the city for decades, with nearly 80 protesters and police hurt and eleven people arrested.

The city has been rocked by the worst worst political violence since its 1997 handover from Britain to China and Ms Lam's concession of a suspension of the bill was rejected by protest leaders

Suspending the bill has done little to defuse simmering public anger and protest organisers have called for a city-wide strike on Monday alongside today's rally

The proposed extradition bill - and the fear that it threatens Hong Kong's way of life, freedom of speech and rule of law - has provoked some of the worst politically-motivated violence in the city for decades. Above: Umbrella-carrying protesters today

Ms Lam said in a press conference that she took the decision to suspend the bill in response to widespread public unhappiness over the measure, which would enable authorities to send some suspects to stand trial in mainland China

Many of those queuing up to pay tribute said they were going on to join the planned rally through the city to show their opposition to the bill.

Organisers said more than one million people turned out to last week's event.

Police said the man's death incident was suicide, adding that a note was found at the scene.

Today, hundreds of thousands of protesters, mostly clad in black, jammed the city's streets, with many of them carrying banners demanding that Ms Lam step down.

This woman waved a Union Jack and had smaller ones sticking out of her bag as she took part in today's protests

Opposition to the bill united an unusually wide cross-section of Hong Kong, from influential legal and business bodies to religious leaders, as well as Western nations. Above: Protesters in the territory today

Protesters carry posters demanding, 'Stop Killing Us' as they bravely march through Hong Kong today

An hour before today's march was due to start subway stations were filled with dense crowds of black-clad protesters making their way to the start and large crowds have packed areas of the city already

The city has been rocked by its worst political violence since its 1997 handover to China, the worst of which was last Wednesday

Critics fear the Beijing-backed law will tangle people up in China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and damage the city's reputation as a safe business hub. Above: Protesters carry banners today demanding there is no extradition to China

Walking slowly and shouting 'withdraw' and 'resign,' the crowd filled a wide thoroughfare and side streets paralleling the waterfront of Victoria Harbor.

Ms Lam's decision to suspend the legislation failed to mollify critics of the measure who see it as one of many steps chipping away at Hong Kong's freedoms and legal autonomy.

'Our demands are simple. Carrie Lam must leave office, the extradition law must be withdrawn and the police must apologize for using extreme violence against their own people,' bank worker John Chow said as he marched with a group of his friends. 'And we will continue.'

The man who fell from the Pacific Place mall was hailed as a 'martyr' by fellow protesters. Above: Mourners gather to lay flowers and pay their respects near to where the man landed

He had unfurled a banner reading: 'Entirely withdraw China extradition bill. We were not rioting. Release students and the injured'. Above: Flowers pile up outside the Pacific Place Mall in the Admiralty district

Emergency workers had tried to cushion the man's fall with an inflatable but failed to catch him. Above: A woman pays her respects to the fallen man

Earlier in the day, mourners laid flowers, said prayers and left written tributes near to the shopping centre

Chinese state media on Monday remained silent on the protests, with social platforms scrubbed clean of any pictures of mentions of the rally.

A short opinion piece in the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily said that the proposed law was 'supported by mainstream public opinion in Hong Kong'.

'The general public is looking forward to blocking legal loopholes to prevent Hong Kong becoming a haven for sinners,' it added.

China's state broadcaster, CCTV, avoided the subject in its main news bulletins throughout the day.

The unprecedented protests are continuing to see hundreds of thousands of people march through the territory today

Lam stopped short of committing to permanently scrapping the proposal yesterday and the concession was swiftly rejected by protest leaders

Protesters said that Lam's suspension meant it could be 'revived' at any time she wanted and they are instead demanding that it is entirely scrapped

Lam's initial decision to ignore the record-breaking turnout and press ahead with tabling the bill for debate in the legislature on Wednesday had triggered last week's protests.

Opposition to the bill united an unusually wide cross-section of Hong Kong, from influential legal and business bodies to religious leaders, as well as Western nations.

An hour before today's march was due to start subway stations were filled with dense crowds of black-clad protesters making their way to the start.

Jimmy Sham, from the main protest group the Civil Human Rights Front, likened Lam's offer to listen to protester's opinions to a 'knife' that had been plunged into the city

This afternoon, protesters are set to march from a park on the main island to the city's parliament. Above: A man holds a poster demanding 'No China Extradition', while a fellow protester's poster says, 'Taiwan with Hong Kong'

'We remain an enclave of human rights and civil liberties at the footsteps of a country whose leadership do not share our values or beliefs,' lawmaker Dennis Kwok told local broadcaster RTHK ahead of today's rally. Above: A large group of protesters hold posters calling for the extradition bill to be scrapped

Critics fear the Beijing-backed law will tangle people up in China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and damage the city's reputation as a safe business hub.

The city was rocked by the worst political violence since its 1997 handover to China on Wednesday as tens of thousands of protesters were dispersed by riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets.

Lam stopped short of committing to permanently scrapping the proposal yesterday and the concession was swiftly rejected by protest leaders, who called on her to resign, permanently shelve the bill and apologise for police tactics.

The Chinese government said suspending the bill was a good decision to 'listen more widely to the views of the community and restore calm to the community as soon as possible'

Critics were angry that Lam missed repeated opportunities to apologise for what many saw as heavy-handed police tactics last week. Continued unrest has seen hundreds of thousands of protesters take to the streets again today

Critics of the Hong Kong government said police used the actions of a tiny minority of violent protesters as an excuse to unleash a sweeping crackdown on what they said were predominantly young, peaceful protesters

'The extradition bill being suspended only means it can be revived anytime Carrie Lam wants,' said activist Lee Cheuk-yan.

Suspending the bill has done little to defuse simmering public anger and protest organisers have called for a city-wide strike Monday as well as Sunday's rally.

Jimmy Sham, from the main protest group the Civil Human Rights Front, likened Lam's offer to a 'knife' that had been plunged into the city.

Many of the protesters were seen walking slowly and shouting 'withdraw' and 'resign' as they marched through vast areas of Hong Kong. Above: Protesters hold a banner with a message which translates as, 'Say no to police gangs, protect our students'

Ms Lam's decision to suspend the legislation failed to mollify critics of the measure who see it as one of many steps chipping away at Hong Kong's freedoms and legal autonomy. Above: Protesters pack a street in Hong Kong

'Carrie Lam's speech yesterday in no way calmed down public anger,' he said.

A huge banner hanging from the city's Lion Rock mountain on Sunday read 'Defend Hong Kong'.

'We remain an enclave of human rights and civil liberties at the footsteps of a country whose leadership do not share our values or beliefs,' lawmaker Dennis Kwok told local broadcaster RTHK ahead of Sunday's rally.

Lam had been increasingly isolated in her support for the bill, with even pro-Beijing lawmakers distancing themselves from the extradition proposals in recent days.

'Our demands are simple. Carrie Lam must leave office, the extradition law must be withdrawn and the police must apologize for using extreme violence against their own people,' bank worker John Chow said as he marched with a group of his friends. Above: A photo of a Hong Kong Street shows the scale of the protesters with thousands of people packing every inch of road

The Chinese government said suspending the bill was a good decision to 'listen more widely to the views of the community and restore calm to the community as soon as possible'.

Critics were also angry that Lam missed repeated opportunities to apologise for what many saw as heavy-handed police tactics.

Police said they had no choice but to use force to meet violent protesters who besieged their lines outside the city's parliament on Wednesday.

But critics - including legal and rights groups - say officers used the actions of a tiny group of violent protesters as an excuse to unleash a sweeping crackdown on the predominantly young, peaceful protesters.

'The pro-democracy group will not stop at this point, they want to build on the momentum against Carrie Lam,' political analyst Willy Lam told AFP.

The Chinese government said suspending the bill was a good decision to 'listen more widely to the views of the community and restore calm to the community as soon as possible'. Above: police block off a road as protesters pack behind their cordon

One protester carries a cardboard poster asking, 'Do you hear the people sing', while others hold one which says, 'We are with Hong Kong' and 'Not Alone'

This woman holds a photo of what appears to show police firing projectiles at protesters. Protest leaders want those arrested for rioting last week to be released

'They will keep the heat on and ride the momentum.'

Protest leaders have called for police to drop charges against anyone arrested for rioting and other offences linked to Wednesday's clashes.

Activist Lee said opponents feared reprisals by the government and wanted assurances 'that our Hong Kong people, our protesters, are not being harassed and politically prosecuted by this government.'

Lam has argued that Hong Kong needs to reach an extradition agreement with the mainland, and says safeguards were in place to ensure dissidents or political cases would not be accepted.