거리 뒤덮은 100만 홍콩 시민들…'범죄인 중국송환 반대' 외쳐
Protests against a bill in Hong Kong that would allow people to be extradited to mainland China broke into small clashes between police and protesters just before dawn on Monday.
So why are people in Hong Kong so against this bill?
Our Lee Ji-won explains.
More than 1 million protesters gathered in the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday to protest the bill that would allow China to extradite fugitives or suspects from the city.
Protesters chanted "no China extradition, no evil law", carrying signs reading "Carry off Carrie" in reference to Hong Kong's Chief Executive, Carrie Lam.
And what started as a peaceful protest descended into clashes with the police as a few hundred protesters tried to break into the Legislative Council.
The council is where debates will resume on Wednesday over whether to pass the bill that would allow suspects to be sent across the border to Taiwan, Macau, and mainland China.
The group that organized the protests, Civil Human Rights Front, estimates that the march has drawn around 1-point-03 million people, which is almost one seventh of the city's whole population.
That would make it Hong Kong's biggest rally since 1997, since the city was handed back to China.
"I think the most important thing is (to oppose) the evil law, because it steps on the Hong Kong people's bottom line. Any person, even those who thought at first that it's not their business, now see that as long as they're from Hong Kong, they will be affected. Everyone can feel this today."
"The motherland once promised that we would have 'one country, two systems,' but now, under the regime of Xi Jinping, Carrie Lam and John Lee who are betting on the future of Hong Kong people the freedom that Hong Kong people used to have will no longer exist if this law is passed."
Chief Executive Lam has pushed forward with the controversial legislation saying it's aimed at closing legal loopholes and that human rights safeguards are in place.
But opponents fear the amendments would allow China to take people for political reasons and undermine Hong Kong's semi-autonomous legal system.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media say that "foreign forces" are behind the protest to "hurt China",... possibly pointing the finger at the U.S.
Another rally is to be held on Wednesday when the decision on the bill is to be made.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
