Hong Kong police swarmed with peoples’ support

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – Tens of thousands of protestors Sunday demonstrated in favor of police in Hong Kong after weeks of anti-extradition law protests in the region.

Local media ran videos and pictures showing protestors assembling outside Hong Kong’s parliament today to express their support to Hong Kong police.

The Hong Kong police came under fire for its handling of anti-extradition law protestors early this month.

On June 12, the police had used tear gas canisters and termed protests as “riots”. Several protestors were arrested when police swung into action against protestors.

Millions of people had marched against a proposed amendment to a law that would allow the transfer of suspects from Hong Kong to mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.

Hong Kong Free Press newspaper reported that large crowds, most of them dressed in white or blue, marched and assembled outside the Hong Kong parliament in support of the police.

“Sunday’s rally -- comprised of a noticeably older demographic, some waving Chinese flags -- was smaller than the huge anti-extradition marches but nonetheless showed that the police and pro-Beijing establishment still had plenty of supporters,” the daily said.

Hong Kong -- an autonomous region under China since 1996 -- has witnessed massive protests this year against the government of Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.

Lam government had brought a bill to make extradition of any suspect legal to mainland China.

However, the proposed law drew “two million people” out on streets of Hong Kong early this month saying it will harm freedom, as people “will be easily arrested and sent to China for prosecution”.

Hong Kong has extradition ordinance in force and has agreements with 20 countries including the U.S., Canada and New Zealand.

The daily said that pro-police protestors criticized the anti-extradition law protestors tearing down large swathes of bill posters hanging or pasted on the walls in streets of Hong Kong.

Although Lam publicly apologized to protestors, her government has indefinitely postponed reading of the bill in the Hong Kong legislature after massive protests erupted.

She refused to step down. “I understand and realize that I need to do more to connect people [although] I never spared any effort to serve the public,” she said in a news conference on June 18.