Hong Kong Protests: China Says Protesters 'Trample Rule of Law'
A group of activists
occupied the Legislative Council (LegCo) building for several hours after
breaking away from a peaceful protest.
Hundreds of police
used tear gas to disperse demonstrators.
The Chinese
government urged the city to investigate the "criminal responsibility of
violent offenders".
Hong Kong, a former
British colony, is part of China but run under a "one country, two
systems" arrangement that guarantees it a level of autonomy. Its citizens
enjoy rights not seen on the mainland.
Monday's disorder
followed weeks of mass protests over a controversial extradition bill, which
critics have said could be used to send political dissidents from Hong Kong to
the mainland.
The Chinese
government said the ransacking of parliament was a blatant challenge to the
"one country, two systems" formula.
So far, Beijing has
reacted to the protests from a distance, but Monday's violence could be a
catalyst for Beijing to push for tighter control over Hong Kong, says BBC World
Service Asia-Pacific editor Celia Hatton.
Hong Kong's leader
Carrie Lam earlier made similar remarks, condemning the "extreme use of
violence" by the protesters who had broken into LegCo
"Nothing is
more important than the rule of law in Hong Kong," she told a pre-dawn
press conference on Tuesday, flanked by Police Commissioner Lo Wai-chung.
The government
suspended the extradition bill last month and it is now unlikely to pass, but
the protesters want it scrapped completely and are calling on Ms Lam to stand
down.
The anniversary of
Hong Kong's handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997 is marked by an
annual pro-democracy march, but this year's event had been expected to be
larger than usual.
There were some
scuffles in the early morning, as protesters blocked streets around the venue
where Ms Lam was attending the annual flag-raising ceremony.
At around midday,
hundreds of demonstrators broke off from the main protest and made their way to
LegCo.
They effectively
besieged the building before eventually smashing their way through the glass
facade.
Inside, they defaced
the emblem of Hong Kong in the central chamber, raised the old British colonial
flag, spray-painted messages across the walls and shattered furniture.
They gradually left
the building amid warnings of an impending police clearance operation.
At about midnight
outside the building, protesters clad in plastic helmets and brandishing
umbrellas retreated from a baton charge by riot police, who quickly overcame
their makeshift barriers.
Within an hour, the
streets around the building were clear of everyone except the media and police.
She said it was a
scene that "really saddens... and shocks a lot of people".
The annual peaceful
march on 1 July, by contrast, reflected "the core values we attach to
peace and order" in Hong Kong.
Showing little
emotion, she said she hoped society would "return to normal as soon as
possible".
She strongly denied
she could be blamed for failing to address the protesters' demands, saying the
government had "not responded to every demand asked because of good
reasons".
The extradition bill
would now expire with the end of the government's term, she said. "That is
a very positive response to the demands that we have heard."
She also argued that
granting an amnesty to all protesters would not be "in accordance with the
rule of law".
Ms Lam added that
Hong Kong's authorities would "pursue any illegal acts" carried out
by demonstrators.
Protests began in
June, focusing on the extradition law. But demonstrators have now broadened
their demands to include the release of all detained activists, and
investigations into alleged police violence.
They have also
expressed general concerns over Beijing's influence eroding the territory's
rule of law and special rights.
Many protesters have
said they will not back down until all their demands are met.
Before Monday's protests erupted into violence, US President
Donald Trump expressed his support for the protesters, saying they were
"looking for democracy" and "unfortunately, some governments
don't want democracy".
UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Britain condemned
"violence on all sides" but called on the authorities to
"understand the root causes of what happened, which is a deep seated
concern by people in Hong Kong that their basic freedoms are under attack"
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the people of Hong
Kong were "seething with anger and frustration" and the idea of
"one country, two systems" was "nothing but a lie"
FROM bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-
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