Three rallies mark 11th weekend of protests

Source: The Guardian (8/17/19)
Hong Kong: three rallies mark 11th weekend of protests
Demonstrators aim to show public support for movement remains strong
By Lily Kuo in Hong Kong

Thousands of teachers rallied against police brutality toward young protesters.

Thousands of teachers rallied against police brutality toward young protesters. Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Hong Kong, as they sought to show their movement still had public support even after two months of increasingly violent clashes.

Protesters, clad in their signature black and holding umbrellas, marched down major streets in Kowloon, chanting: “Liberate Hong Kong! Revolution of our time!” Volunteers handed out herbal tea and juice, while some shops that had closed for the day left boxes of drinks out for protesters.

Three separate rallies were taking place on Saturday, marking the 11th weekend of protests in Hong Kong as residents continue to press the government to formally withdraw a controversial extradition bill as well as meet other demands.

In one of the demonstrations, thousands of teachers braved heavy rains to fill a public square in central Hong Kong where they rallied against police brutality toward young protesters.

“When I see how things are right now, I can’t see a future for the children,” said Li, 30, a kindergarten teacher who helped organise the rally.

“Today the teachers came out to show students that we understand them and we will fight with them until the end,” she said of the event, called “Protect the Next Generation”. She said: “It’s not just the students. All Hong Kong people need protecting.”

Marching in Kowloon, they yelled: “See you at Victoria Park!” in reference to a major rally planned for Sunday.

The teachers’ march moving through central Hong Kong.

The teachers’ march moving through central Hong Kong. Photograph: Vivek Prakash/EPA

The weekend of demonstrations serves as a test for the momentum of the protests after tensions reached a new level this past week. Following a weekend of violent clashes with police, protesters swarmed Hong Kong’s airport.

Demonstrators blocked passengers, forcing a shutdown and clashing with police as well as detaining two men suspected of being spies, in scenes pro-government figures and Chinese state media have seized on as evidence of the protesters’ violent tendencies.

Following the violent episodes, protesters have called for a weekend of peaceful marches and a return to methods used when the demonstrations first began in June. On Saturday, protesters wore surgical masks but did not appear to be in full protective gear as they have been in past rallies in preparation for confrontations with the police.

Critics say officials seem intent on clashing with protesters. The police have banned the original plan for Sunday’s event, a march, and have instead confined it to a rally within Victoria Park. The park can hold only about 100,000 people, but organisers expect many more.

“We know the government is not trying to help the situation, or at least not showing any signs of trying,” said Elizabeth Yu, 26, a musician and performer.

Previous marches by the organiser, the Civil Human Rights Front, have brought out between one 1 and 2 million people.

On Saturday, groups of protesters had begun to splinter off from the designated route of a march in Hung Hom in Kowloon and occupied roads, according to the police. Some threw eggs and left pineapples, symbolising grenades, at the door of a pro-government organisation, the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions.

Government supporters were also holding a rival “anti-violence” demonstration outside the government headquarters. Participants dressed in white, to show their contrast with the protesters, sang the national anthem and chanted: “Say no to violence! Save Hong Kong!”

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