A deadline imposed by activist groups for Hong Kong’s government to scrap highly unpopular extradition bills and accept other demands passed yesterday without an official response.
The groups have said they will call on supporters to surround government headquarters if their demands aren’t met, continuing demonstrations in which hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in the past weeks.
The number of protesters outside the Legislative Council, which had dwindled since a massive march last Sunday, began picking up again yesterday afternoon. With no response from the government, protests were slated to begin Friday morning and many people appeared prepared to spend the night at the central government complex.
The government announced that the complex would be closed today “due to security considerations.”
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has apologized for her handling of the extradition bill, which could be used to send suspects to mainland China for trial. But she has stopped short of scrapping the legislation, which critics say threatens the territory’s judicial independence, prompting the largest and angriest protests in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory in years. MDT/AP
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