Hong Kong, June 12: Anti-riot gear wearing local police have on Wednesday launched tear gases, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and batons, on demonstrators protesting on the streets of Hong Kong against the controversial extradition law which permits suspect from the region to be sent to mainland China for a further court trial.
According to ANI news reports, tens of hundreds of protesters barred roads which lead to the legislative council building of Hong Kong, resulting in rescheduling the legislative meeting that was slated to be held today.
Hong Kong police commissioner Steven Lo Wai-chung defended the overall use of the emergency measures as weapons by calling the demonstrators a “riot”, as per CNN news reports.
The commissioner claimed the protesters have attacked police personnel with bricks and sharpened rods, resulting in injuries to several police officers.
Chinese central government has on Wednesday firmly reiterated its support for the Hong Kong government on passing the extradition law, which permits suspects in the territory to be extradited to mainland China for their court trial, the foreign ministry said.
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong on Wednesday, continuing their demonstration against a controversial “extradition bill”. Protests broke as lawmakers were slated to address the second reading of the extradition bill alongside holding a debate over the matter.
Around 5,000 security personnel were deployed in the region, sealing the legislative council centre of Hong Kong, around which hundreds of demonstrators were holding a march.
About a million people took to the streets on Sunday, marking the largest march in nearly 15 years in Hong Kong, to protest against the draft bill which chief executive Carrie Lam, the region’s pro-China leader, has been long defending.
Previously, Lam has said, “This is a very important piece of legislation that will help to uphold justice and also ensure that Hong Kong will fulfill her international obligations in terms of cross-boundary and transitional crimes.”
On Monday, the protests adhere a violent aura as millions of demonstrators clashed with security forces around the city’s parliament.
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