Sute de mii de oameni au protestat, duminica, pe strazile din Hong Kong, fata de o noua lege de extradare. Potrivit organizatorilor manifestatiei, numarul participantilor a depasit un milion.
Autoritatile spun, insa, ca au iesit in strada doar 240.000 de oameni, conform CNN.
Daca numarul avansat de organizatori este real, acesta ar fi cel mai mare protest din Hong Kong din 1997, cand Marea Britanie a cedat teritoriul Chinei.
Manifestantii sustin ca noul proiect de lege permite oricui se afla in Hong Kong sa fie "luat pe sus" de autoritati din motive politice. In plus, afecteaza independenta judiciara a Hong Kong-ului, o regiune chineza semiautonoma, pentru ca va face mai usoara extradarea suspectilor in China, unde ei ar putea fi vizati de procese incorecte.
Protestatarii s-au imbracat in alb si au scandat, printre altele, "Hong Kong, nu te lasa!". Cel putin sapte persoane au fost arestate, a comunicat politia pe Twitter.
Politistii au transmis ca au folosit spray cu piper pentru a-i dispersa pe protestatari. Desi protestul a fost unul pasnic pe parcursul zilei, seara situatia s-a precipitat, iar politistii au inceput sa foloseasca bastoanele asupra manifestantilor.
Protestul s-a incheiat la ora locala 22:30.
Duminica noapte, Guvernul de la Hong Kong a transmis ca recunoaste protestele de strada, insa a reiterat ca legea in cauza intra in dezbatere pe 12 iunie.
"Indemnam Consiliul Legislativ sa analizeze proiectul de lege intr-o maniera calma, rezonabila si cu respect, pentru a ne asigura ca Hong Kong ramane un oras sigur pentru locuitori", potrivit Guvernului.
Iata cateva imagini din Hong Kong:
Protest in Hong Kong yesterday. pic.twitter.com/chdvW2wuRf
- n҉e҉r҉v҉e҉ (@lo4nerve) June 9, 2019
Over one million people in Hong Kong are marching against extradition to China. pic.twitter.com/UqexuVoDlf
- Ninja Economics (@NinjaEconomics) June 9, 2019
This is an amazing time lapse of the hundreds of thousands of protesters in Hong Kong. pic.twitter.com/GlGtIwwdoq
- Melissa Chan (@melissakchan) June 9, 2019
More than 1 million people protested in Hong Kong today against a bill that would allow suspected criminals to be sent to mainland China for trial#HongKong #ExtraditionBill pic.twitter.com/VgWEfyEjMR
- CNW (@ConflictsW) June 9, 2019
Hundreds of thousands of people protest in Hong Kong over proposed extradition law that would allow suspects to be sent to mainland China to face trial https://t.co/uAm2lqoUqx pic.twitter.com/RtWwwFgzmG
- Reuters Top News (@Reuters) June 9, 2019
Stunning image of the protest in #HongKong today (just posted on @AppleDaily_HK's Instagram account.) Many we spoke to said it was the first time they joined a protest & felt a proposed extradition law would so fundamentally alter the city's freedoms that they couldn't sit back. pic.twitter.com/fUwStzEN1A
- Natasha Khan (@natashakhanhk) June 9, 2019
Hong Kong protests against Chinese extradition bill draw 1 million demonstrators https://t.co/BTikgHgyw3 pic.twitter.com/cSNumVgxcH
- CBS News (@CBSNews) June 9, 2019