Hundreds of anti-extradition law protesters gathered again outside the Legislative Council on Friday urging G20 countries to raise concerns about Hong Kong at the leaders’ summit.

The G20 summit is taking place between Friday and Saturday in Osaka, Japan, where world leaders from the European Union and 19 countries with the largest economies convene to discuss pressing financial and economic issues. Chinese President Xi Jinping is among those attending.

Photo: Jennifer Creery/HKFP.

Crowds, many of whom wearing all-black, chanted “Free Hong Kong” and “Withdraw the law,” with some bearing pictures of injured protesters from June 12 in protest of alleged police brutality.

The city has been rocked by a series of protests over legal amendments proposed in February, which would allow the city to handle case-by-case extradition requests from jurisdictions with no prior agreements – most notably, China. The legal amendments would enable the chief executive and local courts to handle extradition requests without legislative oversight, though critics from across sectors have raised concerns over the risk of residents being extradited to the mainland, which lacks human rights protections. The bill was suspended on June 15, but not withdrawn.

The protests have since morphed into a wider public display of discontent over dwindling freedoms, democracy, and alleged police brutality.

However, Beijing has said that it will not allow discussion of the Hong Kong issue during the G20 summit.

Photo: Jennifer Creery/HKFP.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raised concerns about Hong Kong with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 leaders’ summit on Friday, emphasising the importance of a “free and open” Hong Kong in relation to the recent protests.

His remarks came as an appeal to G20 countries to raise concerns about Hong Kong appeared in over 10 leading international newspapers on Friday after a local crowdfunding campaign to print the full-page ads surpassed its target of HK$3 million with contributions from 20,000 donors.

Nineteen-year-old university student Vivian Yuen Ching-yan told HKFP she welcomed Abe’s comments and hopes it will spur more world leaders to raise similar concerns.

Nineteen-year-old university student Vivian Yuen Ching-yan . Photo: Jennifer Creery/HKFP.

“I hope the international community can also put pressure on the Hong Kong government to actually respond to our demands, instead of giving bullshit excuses,” she said.

Gigi Tang, a 22-year-old university student, also said she hopes Abe’s comments will influence more world leaders to speak out about Hong Kong.

“Of course it is welcomed. His opinion is more powerful than two million Hong Kong people coming out to protest,” she said. “I hope the [newspaper] campaign will raise awareness not just with world leaders but people across the world.”

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