Mass demonstrations rocked Hong Kong on Wednesday, the day of a planned legislative debate over the controversial Extradition Bill, the target of another large-scale protest over the weekend which drew an estimated one million people. In the midst of the protests, the Legislative Council postponed the debate. As protesters stormed police barricades in Central Hong Kong, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, resulting in dozens of injuries. The recent demonstrations have been the largest protests since 2014’s Umbrella Movement. CNN sums up Wednesday’s events:
Here’s what happened Wednesday in Hong Kong:
-Violent clashes erupted: Rubber bullets, pepper spray and hand-thrown tear gas were used to push back protesters who had occupied the city’s main thoroughfare near the government headquarters, as well as the roads around it, Hong Kong Police Commissioner Steven Lo Wai-chung confirmed.
-The protest was deemed “a riot”: Lo said the demonstration was being considered a “riot.” He added that police had been left with “no choice but to start to use force.” Up to 5,000 police in riot gear were deployed to guard the building. Protesters were seen wearing helmets, goggles and heavy-duty workman’s gloves, and pulling bricks from the sidewalks.
-Debate over the bill was postponed: The city’s legislative council had been due to hold the second reading of the controversial bill Wednesday morning local time, but it was postponed. The bill has been met with widespread opposition, including from the city’s traditionally conservative business community.
-What officials are saying: Despite the mass demonstrations, Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam has refused to withdraw the extradition bill, saying it is needed to plug loopholes to prevent the city from becoming a haven for mainland fugitives. [Source]
Picture taken December 8, 2014 pic.twitter.com/XRPnf5GzE8
— Gina Anne Tam 譚吉娜 (@DGTam86) June 12, 2019
HONGKONGERS ARE BACK!!!!!!
12th June at 12pm, and Harcourt road is filled with people again!
People are learning to be smarter and more flexible this time around, Mobilizing cars and different tactics to halt the traffic.
I am lost for words.?#ExtraditionLaw #HongKong pic.twitter.com/RbJ0GeqDR8
— Denise Ho (HOCC) (@hoccgoomusic) June 12, 2019
No one stands up like Hong Kong stands up.
The smartest, most resourceful teenagers you could ever hope to meet. 佩服. https://t.co/HVRa9hzY1F
— Te-Ping Chen (@tepingchen) June 12, 2019
dear my hong kong, you're particularly beautiful today. pic.twitter.com/sTKG39rzpd
— lokman tsui (@lokmantsui) June 12, 2019
A friend just WhatsApped, recalling a young person on the frontline: "We can't lose again, because if we do, we lose everything!" And then he charged forwards.
My friend is in tears recounting those words#HongKong #ExtraditionBill— Yuen Chan (@xinwenxiaojie) June 12, 2019
When protesters stormed the barricades outside the LegCo building, police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, leading to at least 72 hospitalizations. Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have condemned the violence. From The New York Times:
A line of protesters, many of them young people in black T-shirts, repeatedly rushed toward a ring of heavily armored police officers, only to be repelled. The officers lashed out with blows, rubber bullets, beanbag rounds, pepper spray and tear gas.
At times, only a thin metal barrier separated the two groups as the protesters’ front line slowly inched closer to the source of their anger — Hong Kong’s legislature.
One police officer held a giant red sign warning protesters: “Stop charging or we will use force.”
Many of the city’s lawmakers, from both the pro-democracy camp that opposes the extradition legislation and the pro-Beijing majority that supports it, failed to arrive at the council for a scheduled debate on Wednesday morning, after protesters surrounded the complex and blocked traffic. The council later said the debate was postponed until further notice. [Source]
Enraged Lawmaker Charles Mok argues with police on disrespecting the legislature: “This is Legco! Do you think you’re the boss here? … you’re beating up Hongkongers!” #HongKong #ExtradictionBill #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/LwLfZY43Qn
— Naomi Ng 吳家殷 (@ngnaomi) June 12, 2019
Police baton charge and bash an unarmed young man. #hongkong #AntiELABhk pic.twitter.com/yTOcLgYfGS
— Adam Ni (@adam_ni) June 12, 2019
#HongKong chaos as riot police move in to clear the protest… #China pic.twitter.com/jvVse52jUO
— Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) June 12, 2019
— Nathan VanderKlippe (@nvanderklippe) June 12, 2019
We now have a generation getting used to put off tear gas canisters https://t.co/EIHrmSHEhH #antiELAB #NoExtraditionToChina pic.twitter.com/y3h2JTXKqL
— Galileo Cheng (@galileocheng) June 12, 2019
this video–from an outlet often criticized for toeing the government line–shows how the police, not the protesters, made things "turn violent" https://t.co/YQi8YFcQzh
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) June 12, 2019
BREAKING: a total of 72 injured and hospitalised, including 2 in ICU serious as of 10pm HKT, after violent clash between anti-extradition bill protesters and police today in Hong Kong – local TV broadcaster
— George Chen (@george_chen) June 12, 2019
Earlier – Police assaulting young girl already fallen on ground #antiELAB #NoExtraditionChina pic.twitter.com/vRJTZXOO97
— Galileo Cheng (@galileocheng) June 12, 2019
“I’m a journalist!”
Reply: “f***k your mother” (with untranslatable pun). This is the police talking to the press. In Hong Kong. It is hard to accept that we have got to this point, as it is totally unjustified: https://t.co/kEL1ASJfOB— Ilaria Maria Sala (@IlariaMariaSala) June 12, 2019
Despite the violence, the protesters in general were commended by observers for their organizational skills and preparation:
Protesters have brought in supplies to set up a support station. Goods include: cling wrap. Masks. Menstruation pads. Saltine crackers. Gloves. Bandaids. Gauzes. Zip ties. pic.twitter.com/MTjnqH87X5
— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019
They’ve started recycling. In the camp. That has only existed for 4 hours. pic.twitter.com/O9CiiJqwVH
— Hong Kong Hermit (@HongKongHermit) June 12, 2019
Of the countless protests and riots I've covered over the years, I've never once seen this tactic used. Tear gas grenades extinguished almost immediately with water. Hong Kong protesters seem incredibly well organised. https://t.co/CoG4xZr8DH
— Jake Hanrahan (@Jake_Hanrahan) June 12, 2019
This truck just rolled through in Centra with additional supplies, to cheers from the crowd. People are now helping to unload& unpack boxes of bottled water. The crowd claps. #HongKongProtest pic.twitter.com/EbFyUlsgOu
— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019
Just because people seem so natural in setting up help stations, supplies chains etc doesn't mean there was a conspiracy. #HongKongers know this stuff, are good at it. #extraditionbill
香港人埋位識做，79天的公民教育— Yuen Chan (@xinwenxiaojie) June 12, 2019
Quick recap of what I saw this evening in #HongKong #ExtraditionBill protests. Organizers have turned Pacific Place, a luxury mall into a stockpile of resources, laying out plastic helmets, umbrellas, mineral water to distribute to protesters who need them. pic.twitter.com/QxfZNpdw4o
— Tiffany May (@nytmay) June 12, 2019
2am in the morning, young Hong Kong protesters volunteering to pick up the trash after all the chaos.
That, is the quality of our people.#HongKong pic.twitter.com/057coxzpw9
— Denise Ho (HOCC) (@hoccgoomusic) June 12, 2019
The protests have drawn broad and diverse participation from members of Hong Kong society:
imagine what it must feel like for cops to face a group of young people singing prayers. pic.twitter.com/8AbAEyYNOI
— lokman tsui (@lokmantsui) June 11, 2019
Protestor lifts a sign demanding retraction of the extradition bill. On the right, a row of middle-aged pastors stands facing police five rows deep at entrance to legislative building. They want to put themselves between police and the youth, they say. #hongkong #反送中 pic.twitter.com/GBy2ec0zlc
— Alice Su (@aliceysu) June 12, 2019
she’s asking if the police want to send her back to china, and when he tried to offer her a snack cos she’s “tired” she said “i don’t take things from running dogs”
— isabella steger (@stegersaurus) June 12, 2019
Not all heroes wear capes, as the saying goes. These drivers will most likely lose their jobs but deserve all our respect. #HongKongProtests #NoExtraditionToChina pic.twitter.com/DWwvbtrWeH
— Michaela (@michaelasays) June 12, 2019
Hong Kong's largest teachers union just announced a Hong Kong-wide strike against what they call the "evil" extradition law. Facebook post here: https://t.co/INSpuajcj8 pic.twitter.com/wE5DQGrPCp
— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019
A local porn site "displayed an expletive-laden message addressed to Hong Kong officials & pro-Beijing lawmakers expressing the site’s opposition to the extradition law with the help of multiple references to genitals." By @stegersaurus https://t.co/1gj405JmUs
— Mary Hui (@maryhui) June 12, 2019
In China, news of the protests, which Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemned as “organized riots,” has been censored in the media and online platforms including WeChat and Weibo. Despite the censorship, some internet users have found ways to comment on the situation on the few approved posts online, according to a report by Abacus:
I sent a photo to a friend on the mainland and he said, “Wow, so many people were traveling for Dragon Boat festival." ? He had no clue what else that many people would be doing.
— XL China (@XiaoLan17) June 11, 2019
“Special conditions” and “large scale activities” in Hong Kong today mean cross border buses from Shenzhen are being rerouted. It’s incredible that Shenzhen is only a 14 minute train ride from HK yet almost everyone I’ve spoken to here in SZ doesn’t know what is going on pic.twitter.com/foK2uixG4n
— Sue-Lin Wong 黄淑琳 (@suelinwong) June 12, 2019
I havn't posted anything on WeChat except this one image, with a caption "tear gas". Friends in China tell me they cannot see my post. #censorshiptech pic.twitter.com/S5HqcaihdI
— SJ (@SijiaJ) June 12, 2019
What a timing?! Telegram is the key plateform for #HongKong #antiELAB protest organisers. https://t.co/dSBVnX3AXv
— Adam Ni (@adam_ni) June 12, 2019
Protest organising Telegram groups all appear to be encountering issues. Messages coming though very slowly. Who is tempering with Telegram?
— Adam Ni (@adam_ni) June 12, 2019
Telegram messenger service, used to organize Hong Kong protests, is facing a powerful, coordinated Distributed Denial of Service attack. https://t.co/AWl0IwZuf8
— Adrian Zenz (@adrianzenz) June 12, 2019
1. Blocked by WeChat
2. Not blocked by WeChat pic.twitter.com/GvJKYIlfoF— Viola Zhou (@violazhouyi) June 12, 2019
Lam appeared on television in tears, claiming she had made “personal sacrifices” for Hong Kong and comparing the protesters to spoiled children, which elicited a strong response on Twitter:
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam released a video statement about today’s protest. Her comments are in line with the official response we hear from Beijing—which backs her. #HongKongextraditionbill #China pic.twitter.com/hOGhQ9NOdv
— Eunice Yoon (@onlyyoontv) June 12, 2019
Asked if she will withdraw the #ExtraditionBill, Carrie Lam said as a mother, she cannot budge every time her son demands something #HongKong https://t.co/nO92qsIy0o
— RTHK English News (@rthk_enews) June 12, 2019
A group of Hong Kong mothers responds to Carrie Lam’s “mother” statement: “citizens are not your children […] HK kids don’t want you to be their mother. They want you to be a responsible leader and respond to society’s demand for w/d #extraditionbill.” https://t.co/C8QPoZVBPJ
— Vivienne Chow (@VivienneChow) June 12, 2019
#CarrieLam: What a coldblooded "mother" you must be – use police violence to crush your "children?!" If you were ever freely elected, you were to represent the #HK ppl, not to order police use of violence against peaceful protests. https://t.co/LgeDZOUJ0d
— Renee Xia (@ReneeXiaCHRD) June 12, 2019
This reminds me of Jackie Chan's infamous 2009 remark, "我們中國人是需要管的," which was generally — and misleadingly, I think — translated as "we Chinese need to be controlled." https://t.co/4aFMIwDwHy
— Brendan O'Kane (@bokane) June 12, 2019
Cartoonists and others have produced powerful, viral images from the protests:
Remember, Remember, Remember pic.twitter.com/gvm41IaLis
— Ministry of Defence (@mindefhk) June 11, 2019
apparently people on the HK subway are getting sent materials about the extradition law via airdrop https://t.co/7FTufZbUCk
— isabella steger (@stegersaurus) June 11, 2019
This is very clever: https://t.co/skWvTp4byV
— Ilaria Maria Sala (@IlariaMariaSala) June 12, 2019
#Badiucao Cartoon 【HK Picnic】#巴丢草 漫画 【香港野餐】
Massive turnout for #NoChinaExtradition protest again today！What are you waiting？Lets go picnic in Legco！
Link for Free download for protest. https://t.co/J6GFggGEQZ
香港市民加油！你们的无畏和勇敢会被世界记住！#反送中 pic.twitter.com/jMFyQFcxoU— 巴丢草 Badiucao (@badiucao) June 12, 2019
Based on this original image:
Going down for the night. Mood tense but doesn’t appear to be about to escalate. Protesters looking to remain around LegCo until morning when they could attempt to disrupt the second reading of the extradition bill. Police may try to clear, but not looking imminent. pic.twitter.com/GdB80YeZIL
— ????? ????????? ????????? (@jgriffiths) June 11, 2019
https://twitter.com/badiucao/status/1138668724095864832
#變態辣椒漫畫 RFA自由亞洲電臺專欄作品——香港防暴警察正在使用高壓水槍，胡椒噴劑，催淚彈，布袋彈等對付香港市民，香港特首反而說人們是暴徒，不要再說什麽”香港已死“了，是”一國兩制“死了！ pic.twitter.com/j47avU9L4I
— 变态辣椒RebelPepper (@remonwangxt) June 12, 2019
As night fell in Hong Kong, fewer people were on the streets, but police were preparing for further demonstrations in coming days.
After a long & emotional day, i hope this vid will bring you peace before going to bed.
These people, who don’t know each other before, have been singing the same hallelujah song for more than 18 hours in front of the police.
Again, only in #hongkong #extraditionbill #AntiELAB pic.twitter.com/Xo6TgEElOS— Jeffie Lam (@jeffielam) June 12, 2019
And… Before they leave for the day, protestors are tidying up their supplies… #HongKongProtest pic.twitter.com/MkQqAeWKpS
— Natasha Khan (@natashakhanhk) June 12, 2019
