Thousands rally in Hong Kong in fresh protests against extradition bill

HONG KONG: Thousands braved thunderstorms in Hong Kong on Tuesday for a fresh wave of protests against a proposed extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial, but the Chinese-ruled city’s leader said she would not back down.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she would press ahead with the bill despite deep concerns across vast swathes of the Asian financial hub that on Sunday triggered its biggest political demonstration since its handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

“When the fugitive extradition bill is passed, Hong Kong will become a ‘useless Hong Kong’,” said Jimmy Sham, convenor of Civil Human Rights Front, the main organizer of Sunday’s demonstration.

“We will be deep in a place where foreign investors are afraid to invest and tourists are afraid to go. Once the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, (it) will become nothing.” In a rare move, prominent business leaders warned that pushing through the extradition law could undermine investor confidence in Hong Kong and erode its competitive advantages.

Beijing-based consultancy Gavecal said some bankers in Hong Kong were reporting that many mainland clients were shifting their accounts to Singapore, fearing they could come under scrutiny in the financial hub. The bill, which has generated unusually broad opposition at home and abroad, is due for a second round of debate on Wednesday in Hong Kong’s 70-seat Legislative Council. The legislature is controlled by a pro-Beijing majority.

Security was tight around the legislature building, with riot police deployed in some areas. Protesters stood under umbrellas in heavy rain, some singing “Hallelujah”, as police conducted random ID checks. An online petition has called for 50,000 people to surround the legislature building overnight into Wednesday.

Scores of young passersby had their bags searched by police and some were detained briefly in a nearby metro station. A police officer on the scene who declined to be named said they were searching for weapons to try to stave off any violence. The Civil Human Rights Front condemned the searches, saying authorities had made people afraid to participate in peaceful gatherings.

Strikes and transport go-slows were also announced for Wednesday as businesses, students, bus drivers, social workers, teachers and other groups all vowed to protest in a last-ditch effort to block the bill.