Hundreds of demonstrators rallied Sunday outside the British Consulate in Hong Kong, stepping up calls for international support in their months-long campaign for democratic reforms in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Those gathered waved British flags, sang "God save the Queen" and chanted "U.K. save Hong Kong." With banners declaring "one country, two systems is dead," they repeated calls for Hong Kong's former colonial ruler to ensure the city's autonomy is upheld under agreements made when it ceded power to China in 1997. Demonstrators held similar rallies Sept.1 at the British facility and last weekend at the U.S. Consulate.
The protests were triggered in June by an extradition bill that many saw as an example of China's increasing intrusion and a chipping away at Hong Kong's freedoms and rights, many of which are not accorded to mainland China.
The government promised this month to withdraw the bill, which would have allowed some criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial, but protesters have widened their demands to include direct elections for the city's leaders and police accountability.
The summer of protest has seen clashes between protesters and Hong Kong's police, who demonstrators have accused of abuses. More than 1,300 people have been arrested since June.
Read More (...)
