Hong Kong police fight with protesters amid rising tensions

2019-07-15 10

Let's start our world news in Hong Kong.
There have been fresh rallies after violence at border.
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered on Sunday and what began as a peaceful demonstration ended up in scuffles after nightfall.
For more on this and other news from around the world, let's turn to our Hong Yoo.
So Yoo, the unrest was initially focused on a controversial, but now "dead" extradition bill, but the protesters demands are shifting?

Well Mark, protesters in Hong Kong are now demanding an investigation into police violence during their demonstration and calling for the resignation of their chief executive Carrie Lam.
A large crowd, around 110-thousand according to the organizers, assembled near Hong Kong's Sha Tin district on Sunday.
The protest was peaceful at first but turned violent when police started dispersing protesters after nightfall.
The protesters were chased by riot police in a shopping mall in which they attacked the riot police with umbrellas and plastic bottles and in return, police fired pepper spray and started arresting people.
The more than month-long protest was first sparked by a proposed extradition bill that they feared would allow Chinese authorities to take people for political reasons and undermine Hong Kong's semi-autonomous legal system.
But the focus has shifted to Lam's resignation, claiming she failed to address the needs of the people and to complaints that police assaulted participants in earlier demonstrations.

"We are fighting for democracy. Human rights And, and freedom. Yes. We cannot accept any more. The Hong Kong police (does) not work for Hong Kong people any more. They are (working) for China. No, we cannot accept that. We need to be different."

"Carrie Lam has been hiding. She has made many promises but she has not been able to fulfil them. There is no sign she is going to fulfil them."

There were also protests by a group representing Hong Kong journalists, claiming the police have targeted reporters with excessive force.
In response, the police said they respect press freedom and their right to report and will train police officers to understand the work of the media.