E-Paper
Photos: A year on, pro-democracy protests continue in Hong Kong
Several thousand demonstrators marched in Hong Kong on June 9, defying authorities a year after huge pro-democracy protests first erupted in the city. Massive and often violent rallies kicked off on June 9 last year when as many as a million people took to the streets--opposing a bill, now withdrawn--allowing extraditions to mainland China. One year on, the movement struggles in the face of arrests, coronavirus bans on crowds and a looming national security law.
1 / 8
View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jun 10, 2020 11:13 am IST
Demonstrators march on Des Voeux Road Central to mark a year since pro-democracy protests erupted in Hong Kong. Months of massive and often violent rallies kicked off on June 9 last year when as many as one million people took to the streets to oppose a bill allowing extraditions to mainland China. (Roy Liu / Bloomberg)
2 / 8
View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jun 10, 2020 11:13 am IST
Fellow protesters tend to a man after he was pepper sprayed by the police during a rally. On June 9, organisers of last year’s huge rallies called on the government to lift antivirus restrictions on public gatherings and allow Hong Kongers to march once more, reported AFP. (Vincent Yu / AP)
3 / 8
View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jun 10, 2020 11:13 am IST
People attend a “Lunch With You” rally inside a shopping mall on June 9. Flash-mob protests were held during the lunchtime break in multiple malls even though the crowds were just a few hundred strong. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)
4 / 8
View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jun 10, 2020 11:13 am IST
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during her weekly press conference at the government headquarters on June 9. “Hong Kong cannot afford such chaos,” Lam said after being peppered with questions about the unrest during her tenure, adding residents needed “to prove that Hong Kong people are reasonable and sensible citizens of the People’s Republic of China” if they want their freedoms and autonomy to continue, reported AFP. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)
5 / 8
View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jun 10, 2020 11:13 am IST
Pro-democracy protesters hold up their phones in the Central district of Hong Kong on June 9. Beyond a withdrawal of the extradition bill, the protest movement’s core demands, such as universal suffrage and an inquiry into police tactics, have been rejected by the city’s leadership and Beijing. Instead, China has unveiled plans to impose a more sweeping law -- one that will bypass the city’s legislature entirely. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)
6 / 8
View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jun 10, 2020 11:13 am IST
Police detain a man during a rally that was held to mark the first anniversary of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Over the last year, around 9,000 people have been arrested and more than 500 people have been charged with rioting, which would face up to 10 years in jail if convicted, according to an AFP report. (Kin Cheung / AP)
7 / 8
View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jun 10, 2020 11:13 am IST
The protest movement was already on the back foot before emergency coronavirus laws banned gatherings of more than eight people. Still, demonstrations have bubbled up again since the security law plans were announced -- including tens of thousands defying a ban on a June 4 gathering to mark the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. (Justin Chin / Bloomberg)
8 / 8
View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jun 10, 2020 11:13 am IST