Hong Kong Protesters Storm Government Building

Hong Kong: Protesters in Hong Kong damaged and breached a part of the government’s Legislative Council (LegCo) building on the 22nd anniversary of the city’s handover from British to Chinese rule on Monday, shortly before tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators marched against “excessive interference” by Beijing.

In the morning, a flag-raising ceremony to mark the handover took place inside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre instead of the Wan Chai promenade, where it was scheduled to be held, amid a heavy police presence. Demonstrators blocked several roads nearby early using items like metal and plastic barriers.

During the violence at the LegCo building, protesters smashed the facility’s glass doors. Using a metal trolley and iron poles, demonstrators rammed the glass exterior of the building as the police in riot gear and shield stood inside watching, their rifles for rubber bullets ready, the South China Morning Post reported. Pepper spray was used on the crowds but undeterred, another group tried to smash another glass door on the other side. Police officers clashed with hundreds of protesters about 30 minutes before the flag-raising ceremony. A police statement condemned “illegal acts” by protesters who, it said, had taken iron poles and guard rails from nearby building sites. (IANS)

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