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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Damien Gayle (now) and Kate Lyons (earlier), with Verna Yu in Hong Kong

Hong Kong protest: police fire teargas at demonstrators – as it happened

Summary

It’s about 10pm in Hong Kong, where unauthorised protests against a controversial new extradition agreement with China have dispersed across the city after demonstrators were attacked by police using tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, bean-bag rounds and batons. It seems likely that protests will continue into the night, but here’s a rundown of the day’s events so far:

  • Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong on Wednesday ahead of a debate on the controversial extradition laws that was due to take place in Hong Kong’s legislative council at 11am.
  • The protest was in response to proposed legislation that would allow people to be extradited from Hong Kong, which has been deeply unpopular due to fears that China would be able to use the laws to target political enemies.
  • The debate was called off and rescheduled “to a later time to be determined” after protesters blocked streets near the legislative council’s chamber.
  • Protesters remained on the streets, as protesters said they did not trust the government not to call the debate as soon as the roads were cleared of protesters.
  • Earlier in the day police in riot gear, armed with rifles, used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse protesters, who sought to protect themselves using umbrellas, wrapping their skin in clingfilm, and wearing helmets, masks and goggles.
  • Demonstrators seemed to be preparing for a long protest, with first-aid tents and supply stations set up around the city.
  • When it became clear that protesters intended to stay, at about 3pm local time, police opened fire with tear gas, baton rounds (rubber bullets) and pepper spray, citing an attempt to rush cordons around the legislative council building as the trigger.
  • Justifying the violent response, Hong Kong’s police chief claimed that the protests around Admiralty had become a “riot situation” and confirmed that his officers had used rubber bullets. Several protesters were hit in the face by rubber bullets.
  • Thousands of people leaving the scene of the demonstrations were stopped and searched by police. Others retreated tried to escape clouds of teargas by entering shopping centres.
  • By nightfall, the area around the legislative council building had been cleared. But hundreds of protesters remained in the Central district, where they have built barricades and expect the arrival of riot police tonight.
  • If you are in London and you want to show your solidarity with protesters in Hong Kong then an urgent protest is planned outside the Hong Kong economic and trade office in Bloomsbury at 4pm. More details on this Facebook event page.

Updated

Our reporter in Hong Kong, Verna Yu, reports that some protesters are making their way to the city’s Central district, a business hub that was the scene of mass Occupy-style protests in 2014.

It’s nightfall in Hong Kong now, and protesters are still in the streets despite concerted attacks from the police clearing them from the area outside the city’s legislative council building.

Around two to three hundred people are still hanging around the main street in Admiralty but others are now moving towards Central, reports Yu. The Admiralty tube station has already shut so people have to walk to Central if they want to go home.

She says it doesn’t look like police will take more action, but around three to four hundred officers in riot gear remain standing guard in the area around Admiralty.

The tweet below shows a view of the Central district, where protesters have made their way this evening.

Things seemed to have quietened down in Hong Kong for now, after police violently dispersed protesters from the area around central. Our reporter Verna Yu was close enough to choke on the teargas and feel the sting in her eyes and on her skin. She shot this video from the scene at 5.40pm local time - about three and a half hours ago.

Like the CS gas grenade pictured in an earlier post, much of the tear gas and crowd control ammunition used against protesters in Hong Kong today is likely to have been made in UK, or at least by companies headquartered here.

The Campaign Against the Arms Trade points out that the UK government has granted a number of licences to Hong Kong allowing the export of a wide range of crowd-control equipment, including tear gas, anti-riot guns, anti-riot shields, body armour, and crowd control ammunition.

The most recent licence was granted in December 2018 (the latest month for which data is available), but exports also take place under an Open Licence granted in 2015, allowing an unlimited quantity to be exported for 5 years.

According to a CAAT spokesperson:

UK teargas was also used against democracy protesters in Hong Kong in 2014. In 2014 police used considerable amounts of teargas to try to disperse protests calling for a free election for the Chief Executive of the territory. Images from the ground showed that at least some of the gas used was provided by UK arms company Chemring, which subsequently confirmed that it was a long term provider of tear gas to Hong Kong.

Prior to the 2014 protests, the UK government had granted six licences for the export of tear gas to Hong Kong between the start of 2010 and January 2014 worth £180,000, as well as an Open Licence which allowed unlimited quantities to be exported.

The grenades of the kind pictured earlier are manufactured by Chemring Countermeasures Ltd (formerly known as Pains Wessex), part of the Chemring Group, according to Omega Research. Each grenade deploys small CS payloads which cannot be thrown back at the police.

Police have succeeded in clearing all protesters from around the legislative council building, reports Verna Yu. Nevertheless, police continue to raise their black flag and threaten tear gas attacks in an apparent attempt to push demonstrators further out of central Hong Kong.

Pictures taken by Yu show lines of police blocking roads and other access points to the area surrounding the legislative council building. A policeman has told her that the dual carriageway outside the building has been cleared.

Theresa May, the prime minister, has said that it is vital that any new extradition treaty between Hong Kong and China doesn’t violate rights guaranteed for the city’s people after the British withdrawal. Responding during prime ministers questions this afternoon, May said:

This is an important issue. We are concerned about the potential effects of these proposals, particularly obviously given the large number of British citizens there are in Hong Kong.

It is vital that those extradition arrangements in Hong Kong are in line with the rights and freedoms that were set down in the Sino-British joint declaration. We have been unequivocal in our views, we have been quite clear from the outset ... engaging with the Hong Kong government, with the members of the Hong Kong legislative council and the executive council at all levels about our view on this issue.

As I say, it’s vital that those extradition arrangements are in line with the rights and freedoms that we set down in that Sino-British joint [declaration].

Shortly after May’s comments in the commons, Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, tweeted to a similar effect. Hunt has published a statement through the Foreign Office on the British government’s reaction to the protests. He said:

The ongoing protests in Hong Kong are a clear sign of significant public concern about the proposed changes to extradition laws. I call on all sides to remain calm and peaceful.

I urge the Hong Kong government to listen to the concerns of its people and its friends in the international community and to pause and reflect on these controversial measures. It is essential that the authorities engage in meaningful dialogue and take steps to preserve Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms and high degree of autonomy, which underpin its international reputation. Upholding the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, provided for in the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration, is vital to Hong Kong’s future success.

Police in Hong Kong are apparently using hand thrown CS gas grenades made by a British company and approved for sale by the UK government.

Omega Research, which tracks and researches the weapons and equipment used in torture and human rights violations, identified a grenade pictured in a tweet from the Hong Kong protests as a hand thrown N225 Rubber Bursting CS grenade, made by the UK-based Chemring Group.

Omega Research said the picture had been sourced from this tweet sent from Hong Kong earlier today:

I was unable to find any information about this munition on the Chemring website, which seems only to advertise smoke bombs, flares and other non-violent items.

However, it appears that these grenades have been used against Hong Kong protesters before. Similar looking devices were found during the 2014 pro-democracy protests in the city, the Times reported at the time.

Protesters have been quite inventive in their methods for trying to ameliorate the effects of the teargas, CS, pepper spray and other irritant weapons fired at them, including wrapping their skin in clingfilm, wetting facemasks, and washing their faces with milk, as well as shielding themselves with the now emblematic umbrellas.

The video tweeted below shows another way they have protected themselves against gas munitions - extinguishing them with bottles of water as they land.

Twenty-two people had been taken to hospital with injuries related to today’s protests as of 6pm local time, according to the South China Morning Post.

The paper reports that the Hong Kong hospital authority is asking the public to avoid using accident and emergency services unless absolutely necessary.

Hong Kong’s population have developed a sudden - but perhaps understandable - interest in encrypted communications, according to this tweet.

Protesters are seeking shelter inside nearby shopping centres to escape police teargas and baton round attacks, Verna Yu reports.

Police in riot gear have used volley after volley of tear gas, as well as rubber bullets, beanbag rounds and pepper spray, to try to clear the area around Admiralty and Hong Kong’s government buildings.

Police are firing tear gas now on main Street outside Pacific place shopping centre, Yu reports. Many people cleared from the area outside the legislative committee building have regrouped there.

Wong Shan, 80, said: “The government just wants to scare the young people (by shooting tear gas). The government really shouldn’t do this to peaceful protesters. Some police were even holding rifles. Unlike the 1967 riot, nobody is wrecking shops. They are just voicing their opinions. The law is a very wrong thing.”

A protester rests during the demonstration against the proposed extradition bill
A protester rests during the demonstration against the proposed extradition bill Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

Updated

Extradition bill meeting will not be held today

The council meeting to decide on the new extradition bill with China will not be held today, according to a Hong Kong government press release. The release, issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat at 6.40pm local time (11.40BST), says:

Under Rule 14 (3) of the Rules of Procedure, the President of the Legislative Council has decided that the Council meeting of June 12 will not be held today. Announcement will be made once the President determines the time of the meeting.

Earlier, the Hong Kong government reiterated police claims that a riot had broken out in the Admiralty area and instructed people to stay away. That release, issued at 6.05pm (11.05BST), said:

A Government spokesman said today (June 12) that a riot broke out in the Admiralty area, with protesters causing serious obstruction to major trunk roads and great inconvenience.

The spokesman said a number of protesters had used very dangerous weapons and a high level of violence. They have repeatedly charged at police officers, leading to an increasingly chaotic situation. The Government calls on the persons at the location to leave immediately for their own safety. Other members of the public should not go to the Admiralty area. The spokesperson also urged protesters who were blocking the carriageways to release certain traffic lanes immediately to allow the passage of emergency vehicles and let traffic resume as soon as possible.

The spokesman added that Hong Kong people enjoy the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. However, protesters assembling at the scene must comply with the laws of Hong Kong and maintain social order, remain calm and exercise restraint, leave the scene peacefully. The Police will take appropriate actions if there are any illegal acts.

Students and young people are not the only people caught up in the police riot in Hong Kong today. Reuters has circulated this picture of Lam Cheuk-ting, chief executive of Hong Kong’s Democratic party and a Legislative Council member, being treated for the effects of pepper spray.

Protesters help pro-democracy lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, pouring water on him to alleviate the effects of pepper spray
Protesters help pro-democracy lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, pouring water on him to alleviate the effects of pepper spray Photograph: James Pomfret/Reuters

Our reporter Verna Yu is still out in the streets, very close to the clouds of teargas that police are using to clear the Admiralty area. Earlier she spoke to Ada, 48, a mother of two, who said she was “shocked and upset” when police fired tear gas.

She was on a walkway above the site where police fired the shots. “I had no idea they would keep firing tear as people were retreating already. Why did they do that?”

Each time the police have fired volleys of teargas they raise a black flag warning protesters. Two young men in their 20s who told her they were hit by tear gas are now leaving. One said “I am not sure if I’ll come back. The situation is too bad now.”

The black warning flag raised by police every time they fire a fresh volley of teargas
The black warning flag raised by police every time they fire a fresh volley of teargas Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP

According to the Associated Press, Hong Kong police commissioner Stephen Lo Wai-chung told reporters that officers have used batons, pepper spray, beanbag rounds, rubber bullets, water hoses and tear gas against the demonstrators.

He said police took action after a large group of masked protesters charged onto the roads surrounding the complex in Hong Kong’s Admiralty district and started throwing objects including metal barriers at officers. He called the situation a riot.

He said several people including some officers had been injured, adding: “This is very dangerous action that could kill someone.”

On Twitter, videos are appearing that show police seizing and beating protesters. Two have been posted that appear to show the same incident from different angles.

We are getting multiple reports through email and social media of at least one protester, maybe several, who have been badly injured after being shot in the face with rubber bullets or beanbag rounds.

A picture circulating on social media shows one man lying on the floor, attended to by protesters with blood streaming from his face, reportedly after he was hit with one of the “non-lethal” munitions.

Image posted to social media purporting to show someone shot during protests in Hong Kong.
Image posted to social media purporting to show someone shot during protests in Hong Kong. Photograph: Unknown

A second man hit in the face speaks on a video uploaded to YouTube. According to Mandy Lee, an assistant professor in the school of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin, who sent in a link to the video, he says he was shot without warning when protesters were moving metal barriers. Lee translates him as saying:

They had not engaged in any charging and any violent moves and the shots were fired without warning. When the reporter asked if he knows what types of bullets he was hit with, he is not sure himself but he thinks it appears to be rubber but as it was lodged in his eye socket he could not know for sure.

A Hong Kong protester speaks after he was shot in the eye during protests in the city’s centre

Clashes continue in central Hong Kong, despite police attempts to drive protesters from the area using a range of crowd control weapons - including rubber bullets.

According to the latest bulletins from the Associated Press, police in riot gear pushed back protesters who tried to storm past barricades to reach government buildings.

Our reporter Verna Yu has been sending pictures of crowds fleeing clouds of teargas, hurling back rubbish and plastic water bottles towards lines of police. They are shouting: “Dog police ! Dog police” at officers who have been authorised to use force to clear what the Hong Kong police are calling a riot.

The latest from AP is that police are searching some protesters and their bags as they try to leave the scene. “Scores of protesters were leaving the area Wednesday, some with their hands held high, after police shot tear gas around the besieged city government headquarters near the waterfront,” the agency says.

Beijing reiterated its support for the extradition law at a regular press briefing on Wednesday afternoon and called rumours that the government would call in the Chinese military to clear protests “misinformation”, reports Lily Kuo, our Beijing correspondent.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing: “I can clearly tell you that is a fallacy being spread to deceive people and create panic”.

The shell casing found on the floor and photographed by a reporter earlier in Hong Kong appears to be from a kind of shotgun-fired crowd control round, according to Ben Hammersley, who sent us a tweet about it.

According to a description on the manufacturer’s website, the ALS1202 Rubber Fin Rocket (direct fire) is a “12 (gauge) rubber finned projectile that is designed to be direct fired, producing blunt trauma and pain compliance.”

According to a warning on the munition’s specification sheet: “Serious injury or death may occur if the product is misused or in rare or unexpected instances. Individuals should only engage appropriate target areas.”

Stephen Lo, Hong Kong’s police commissioner, has defended the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and bean bag rounds against protesters, telling a press conference that the demonstration in the city’s Admiralty area has become a “riot”.

Lo said police were forced to take action after their cordons around Hong Kong’s legislative council building came under attack, Radio Television Hong Kong reports. According to RTHK:

He said if officers had not taken such actions “protesters would have used metal bars to stab our colleagues”.

The police chief also accused protesters of engaging in violent behaviour and not allowing those trapped in the area since the morning to leave.

When asked if the police would ask the People’s Liberation Army for help, Lo said “definitely not, at this stage”.

A protester trapped between two lines of riot police raises hands in a gesture of surrender
A protester trapped between two lines of riot police raises hands in a gesture of surrender Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP
Police fire another tear gas round at protesters, as Hong Kong’s police commissioner called the protest a “riot”
Police fire another tear gas round at protesters, as Hong Kong’s police commissioner called the protest a “riot” Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

Police confirm they have used rubber bullets

Hong Kong’s police chief has called the protests outside the legislative council a “riot situation” and has confirmed that his officers have used rubber bullets as well as tear gas on protesters, Reuters reports.

Hong Kong citizens are being told not to enter the centre of the city, where police have fired volley after volley of tear gas and streams of pepper spray at protesters. Ambulances were heading towards the protest area, according to Reuters.

The agency reports that some protesters had tried to charge police lines, pitching their umbrellas against police officers truncheons. Police warned them back, saying: “We will use force.”

Separately, there are reports on livestreams from Hong Kong that a journalist has been shot in the head with either a rubber bullet or a tear gas canister and has lost consciousness.

Protesters throw tear gas back at riot police outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong
Protesters throw tear gas back at riot police outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP

This aerial shot from a high rise close to the Legislative Council building shows crowds attempting to escape clouds of teargas fired by police trying to clear the area. No one wants to be caught inside that fog of irritant gas.

Here are the latest news pictures coming through from Hong Kong. Live streams of the scene show the police there launching round after round of tear gas at protesters. Many are attempting to leave the scene of the demonstration, with police searching and checking those on the way out of the area.

Police beat protesters outside the Legislative Council Complex
Police beat protesters outside the Legislative Council Complex Photograph: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images
Police fire streams of pepper spray at protesters
Police fire streams of pepper spray at protesters Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP
Riot police use their batons to bludgeon protesters trying to defend themselves from pepper spray with umbrellas
Riot police use their batons to bludgeon protesters trying to defend themselves from pepper spray with umbrellas Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters
Protesters cower under umbrellas to protect themselves from pepper spray attacks from the police
Protesters cower under umbrellas to protect themselves from pepper spray attacks from the police Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters

The situation in Hong Kong is fast and fluid at the moment, with thousands of people on the streets, many attempting to leave the scene as tear gas floats through the air, according to the live feeds that I’m watching.

News pictures show streams of people leaving the area, many of them rubbing their eyes and covering masks with water to alleviate the effects of the teargas.

Police are warning protesters to leave, otherwise they will face another attack, according to one feed. However, they are searching protesters as they attempt to leave the area.

A journalist on the Radio Television Hong Kong feed says a tear gas landed in front of him and it exploded and emitted sparks. Damon Pang, a reporter with the station, earlier tweeted this picture of a shell casing he found in the street.

Updated

Police in riot gear are advancing towards the crowd, unfurling a Black Warning banner which says “Warning: Tear Smoke”, according to Verna Yu.

She says swathes of people are beginning to leave the protests, but crowds outside the legislative assembly are still huge.

Every shot police fire, people scream. Riot police have cleared some of the walkways. As people leave the scene they are scrambling to pick up supplies, including umbrellas - the symbol of these protests.

According to a recent file from the Associated Press, officers have already used tear gas, pepper spray and high-pressure water hoses against protesters.

Protesters run away from tear gas outside the legislative assembly building
Protesters run away from tear gas outside the legislative assembly building Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP

Our reporter Verna Yu is on the scene at the legislative council as police used tear gas and fired beanbag rounds in an attempt to clear the area.

Police attacked after some protesters moved crowd barriers and entered the covered area in front of the Legislative Council. Protesters retreated after the teargas was fired, with officers firing canisters at several locations around the council building.

At 4pm crowds were leaving Lung Wo Road and people were seen choking and covering their mouths and noses. Meanwhile, protesters were passing umbrellas and helmets to people near the police.

A Hong Kong protester reels from the effects of tear gas
A Hong Kong protester reels from the effects of tear gas Photograph: Tyrone Siu/Reuters
Clouds of the irritant gas drift over central Hong Kong as police try to clear protests outside government buildings
Clouds of the irritant gas drift over central Hong Kong as police try to clear protests outside government buildings Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

Updated

Police fire teargas at protesters

Protesters outside Hong Kong’s legislative council building have been teargassed by police trying to clear the unauthorised mass demonstration taking place in the city today.

Several livestreams on social media broadcast the moment, followed by a stream of tweets, and now the news agency Associated Press has flashed the news on the wires.

This below from Reuters is the only picture filed from the scene by the agencies so far.

Demonstration against a proposed extradition bill in Hong KongPolice fire tear gas at protesters during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill
Demonstration against a proposed extradition bill in Hong Kong
Police fire tear gas at protesters during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters

Tear gas has been fired at protesters outside the legislative council building, where thousands are facing off against police in riot gear.

Some Twitter users are reporting that the shot gun rounds fired at protesters earlier were bean bag rounds.

There are now unconfirmed reports on Twitter that a police officer has fired a shotgun into the crowd. They all appear to have come from the same broadcast. I will keep an eye out to see if I can spot any kind of verification.

Violence appears to have broken out on the streets of Hong Kong as police begin trying to clear the streets around the city’s goverment buildings.

Updated

Anson Chan, former chief secretary
Anson Chan, former chief secretary Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Anson Chan, who was the highest ranking civil servant in Hong Kong under British rule, has said the UK has a responsibility to ensure the city’s laws are protected.

Chan, who served as chief secretary of Hong Kong under governor Chris Patten, told Radio 4’s Today programme she had been on the streets of the city among protesters on Wednesday.

The extradition bill currently under discussion in Hong Kong’s legislative committee was “the last straw” for her and her compatriots, she said.

It’s come hard on the heels of a series of actions on the part of Beijing and the government in recent years. For example the disqualifications of members in the legislative council, the imprisonment of young activists, ruling out people for standing for election purely on political grounds, the abduction of book sellers simply because they wrote salacious articles about people in the top leadership in Beijing.

Chan described promises that Hong Kong judges would retain the final say over any extradition as “empty assurances”. Hong Kong’s executive was subordinate to Beijing, she said, and could not contend with Chinese officials as equals. Chan called on the international community, particularly the UK, to intervene.

It’s not just its history, the United Kingdom has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that the promises in the joint declaration and the basic law are fulfilled and implemented. Britain is a co-signatory to the joint declaration and it must stand by Hong Kong people, particularly in the current circumstances.

I think international interest in Hong Kong is crucially important. This is not just an issue about the 7.3m people living in Hong Kong, at stake is Hong Kong’s reputation as a safe haven for doing business, Hong Kong’s reputation as a premier international financial services centre, and quite frankly the safety of all people living in Hong Kong - both Chinese and expatriates of whatever nationality.

Updated

Among the protesters opposing the extradition bill there is a sense of unity, purpose and urgency, according to Helen Davidson and Verna Yu, our reporters in Hong Kong .

They’ve been on the streets talking to the protesters who have shut down the city today. They report:

Outside Admiralty station half a dozen people are handing out masks. A supply station is being stocked with cases of water bottles, towels, hard hats and in one case some sanitary pads and a bible. Barricades are turned into makeshift ladders, helping protesters to climb over the road divider from one side to the other. The centre of Hong Kong is a no-go zone for traffic. Taxi drivers have given up for the day and gone home.

Read more here:

Hello, this is Damien Gayle taking over the live blog from the Guardian’s London newsroom.

Protesters in Hong Kong are digging in for the long haul after forcing a delay to a the debate on a new extradition arrangement with the mainland. They fear the bill will make political activists vulnerable to abduction by authorities in Beijing.

The last time they staged protests, on Sunday, riot police moved in to clear the streets as soon as their permitted protest time expired. In today’s unauthorised mass protest, both police and protesters are now reportedly becoming edgy.

It’s just after 8am in London, about 3pm in Hong Kong. These are the latest pictures coming through to us from news agencies in the city.

Protestors gather near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. Protesters have repurposed the metal fences used in police barricades as ladders to help them over road dividers
Protestors gather near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. Protesters have repurposed the metal fences used in police barricades as ladders to help them over road dividers Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP
A protester dressed to protect himself from police pepper spray on the front lines of the protest surrounding the council building
A protester dressed to protect himself from police pepper spray on the front lines of the protest surrounding the council building Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP
Democrat Alvin Yeung (centre R) addresses riot police as protesters occupy the roads near the Legislative Council and government headquarters
Democrat Alvin Yeung (centre R) addresses riot police as protesters occupy the roads near the Legislative Council and government headquarters Photograph: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

What has happened so far

  • Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong on Wednesday ahead of a debate on the controversial extradition laws that was due to take place in Hong Kong’s legislative council at 11am.

  • The debate was called off and rescheduled “to a later time to be determined” after protesters blocked streets near the legislative council’s chamber.

  • Protesters remained on the streets, as protesters said they did not trust the government not to call the debate as soon as the roads were cleared of protesters.

  • Earlier in the day police in riot gear, armed with rifles, used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse protesters, who in term sought to protect themselves using umbrellas, wrapping their skin in clingfilm and wearing helmets, masks and goggles.

  • Protesters seemed to be preparing for a long protest, with first-aid tents and supply stations, set up around the city.

  • Pro-democracy legislator Claudia Mo praised the people of Hong Kong after the vote was postponed, saying she had “underestimated people-power in Hong Kong”, but another lawmaker, Dennis Kwok warned that if the law passes: “I cannot imagine how they would channel their anger and disappointment in the Hong Kong and Central governments.”

  • The protest was in response to proposed legislation that would allow people to be extradited from Hong Kong, which has been deeply unpopular due to fears that China would be able to use the laws to target political enemies.

  • Huge protests over the weekend saw more than one million people – roughly one-seventh of Hong Kong’s population – take to the streets over the laws.

Verna Yu, our reporter on the ground in Hong Kong, says the tone of today’s protest is very different to Sunday’s protest. Today, people are more on edge and more frightened, as today’s is not a sanctioned protest, whereas Sunday’s was.

“People worry about being prosecuted by police for illegal gathering,” she says. “People on Sunday were happier being photographed as it was a sanctioned protest. People handing out supplies don’t want to say which organisations they are from.”

Solidarity in Taiwan

Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan, has spoke out in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong. Posting a cartoon of herself at a protest on Instagram, Tsai wrote:

“We see their thirst for human rights protection and democratic rule of law. We also see their persistence of reluctance to give up. This also inspires the younger generation of Taiwan.”

Throughout the day, solidarity protests have been held in Taiwan, which also has a fraught history with the People’s Republic of China.

Dennis Kwok, a Hong Kong lawmaker, is an opponent of the extradition bill in Hong Kong.
Dennis Kwok, a Hong Kong lawmaker, is an opponent of the extradition bill in Hong Kong. Photograph: Jérôme Favre/EPA

Dennis Kwok, a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, sounded a dire warning about what might happen in Hong Kong if the controversial legislation, which many fear would allow political activists to be extradited to China, was passed.

“My hope is that the government and the pro-establishment camp are taking the time to reconsider the bill having seen another round of massive demonstration unequivocally demanding its withdrawal.

“If the bill is put to vote, it will be passed, if Hong Kong people’s peaceful voices are neglected, I cannot imagine how they would channel their anger and disappointment in the Hong Kong and Central governments.”

Map of protests

Map of the protests

Updated

Stepping outside admiralty station half a dozen people are handing out masks. A supply station is being stocked, with people bringing over cases of water bottles, towels, hard hats.

Here on the edge of the crowd there’s a real sense of people helping each other.

Barricades have been turned into make shift ladders to help people climb over the road divider from one side to the other. They’ve taken over all six lanes. This part of Hong Kong is now a no go zone for traffic. Some Taxi drivers have given up for the day and gone home. No tourists can access the popular Victoria Peak.

Justin Lai and Carie Ching are helping to supply protesters with water and food, underneath one of the walkways at Admiralty.

They said they’re resting now but after lunch they will figure out how to help and get supplies to people further in around the LegCo building.

They said they are here “to say no to the policy”.

While they’re aware debate was called off today, that’s not good enough.

“They didn’t cancel the discussion they just delay,” said Ching.

“We will keep fighting, said Lai.

Asked if this was like Occupy, and would they stay, they said yes. For as long as it takes.

The closer the line of police, the more on edge people are. There are more hard hats, more breathing and eye masks, and limbs wrapped in cling film to protect against pepper spray.

A mess of barricades and road barriers and witches hats creates a loosely fortified barrier between protesters and police.

One young woman, who doesn’t want to be named, sits on top, under an umbrella.

“I feel like the police are being really calm but you would never know what there going to do next,” she said. “We have experienced something like this before, the umbrella revolution, and we want to prepare as much as possible... to protect ourselves.”

Like many others I’ve spoken to, the delay of debate today is hopeful but not enough to convince her to leave.

“We’re intimidating them. We’re just waiting for a miracle... a lot of people feel like this is the last battle and we have to fight it. I just wish the government would listen. The government should work for the people not the other way around.”

Pro-democracy legislator Claudia Mo has addressed the crowds after leading them in chants of: “We are back!”

Guys, lots of foreign media were asking this morning: ‘What is happening to Hong Kong? Do you think your Carrie Lam is going to scrap this very evil law, as you call it, at the end of the day?’

And I said: ‘It looks unlikely because Carrie Lam is just some tiny puppet of Beijing. She does what her Beijing boss tells her to do. And Hong Kong is her second choice when it comes to her work, when it comes to her career.’

But them, we all, myself included, we underestimated people-power in Hong Kong, in particular we underestimated the young people-power in Hong Kong and we thank you!

Updated

Silence from China about protests

On Wednesday, China was conspicuously quiet about the protests that had erupted overnight.

State media like the People’s Daily and Xinhua made no mention of the protests, with their front pages featuring reports on official exchanges between China and Kyrgyzstan or the growth of the Chinese snack industry. Some social media platforms appeared to be censoring discussion of the demonstrations.

Still, reports from Hong Kong are reaching those on the mainland. On the discussion forum Douban, users posted screenshots of foreign news articles about the demonstrations. By Wednesday afternoon, most of those posts and comments had been deleted. On Weibo, searches for “Hong Kong” or for the name of the extradition bill, turned up only results from state media accounts, suggesting censors had blocked results.

Users reading the news expressed support, and acknowledge the history of civil protest in Hong Kong. In response to reports that police in Hong Kong have threatened to use force, one user said: “How dare they threaten to use force? Do they think the international community will stand by like they did in 1989?” said one user, referring to the military crackdown on unarmed protesters in Beijing on 3-4 June, 1989.

Another wrote: “Some young mainland Chinese are too naive. I support Hong Kong people.”

Updated

Protesters shelter behind umbrellas during a rally against an extradition bill outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong.
Protesters shelter behind umbrellas during a rally against an extradition bill outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. Photograph: Jérôme Favre/EPA
Protesters in Taipei, Taiwan, shout slogans and display placards during a protest to support Hong Kong protesters who are against the amendments to an extradition bill.
Protesters in Taipei, Taiwan, shout slogans and display placards during a protest to support Hong Kong protesters who are against the amendments to an extradition bill. Photograph: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA
A protester with a Captain America shield takes part in a demonstration against the extradition bill.
A protester with a Captain America shield takes part in a demonstration against the extradition bill. Photograph: Jérôme Favre/EPA
Protesters move barricades to block the street near the government headquarters during a rally against the extradition bill.
Protesters move barricades to block the street near the government headquarters during a rally against the extradition bill. Photograph: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

Businesses close in solidarity with protesters

More than 100 Hong Kong businesses said they would close on Wednesday in a sign of solidarity with the protesters, reports AFP, and the city’s major student unions announced they would boycott classes to attend the rallies.

A string of other prominent unions in the transport, social work and teaching sectors either followed suit or encouraged members to attend while a bus drivers’ union said it would encourage members to drive deliberately slowly to support protests.

“It’s the government who has forced people to escalate their actions, so I think it’s inevitable for the fight this time to get heated,” said protestor Lau Ka-chun, 21.

Reuters reports that HSBC and Standard Chartered, in addition to the Big Four accounting firms, had all agreed to flexible work arrangements for staff on Wednesday, Hong Kong media reported.

Standard Chartered and Bank of East Asia suspended operations at some branches in the area.

The protests have made the front page of Wednesday’s New York Times.

Verna Yu reports that the crowd is being urged to continue with the protest. She says:

Someone has just shouted out of a loudspeaker: “Folks! Do not be happy too soon. Andrew Leung [the chair of the legislative council], the traitor, can resume the debate at anytime! Let’s persevere!”

The crowd continues to shout “Retract! Retract!”

No sign of retreat from protesters

The protests are continuing. Our reporter on the ground Verna Yu says a lot of the protesters don’t know that the debate about the extradition bill that was scheduled to be held today has been postponed, as the mobile phone signal is bad.

Verna says she has told a few people about the delay during her reporting.

“They don’t know what will happen as they think the government wills till push for the law,” she writes. “No sign of retreating. They are still chanting ‘retract, recract’ and ‘no retraction, no retreat’”.

Updated

Verna Yu has spoken to a number of young people on the march who say they are protesting today because the government has ignored the views of the people even after one million people turned out to Sunday’s protest.

Protesters hold umbrella as they stand guard to block the street near the government headquarters during a rally.
Protesters hold umbrella as they stand guard to block the street near the government headquarters during a rally. Photograph: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

Our reporter Verna Yu spoke to Brian Chan, 23, a recent university graduate who was sprayed with pepper water by police during the protests and was treated at a makeshift supply/first aid station. These stations, mostly staffed by medical students, popped up near the protest site. His arms were red with a reaction to the pepper spray.

Chan said he was sprayed with pepper water when a crowd was going forward and police in front of the People’s Liberation Army quarters sprayed pepper water at them to stop them.

“We don’t want to get violent, and it’s wrong, but if the government keeps ignoring us we can’t rule out escalating our actions,” he said, declining to elaborate on what form such escalation might take.

Updated

Verna Yu has sent this brief dispatch from the streets of Hong Kong after news got out that the day’s debate had been cancelled: “Brollies down”.

Freelance journalist, Eric Cheung, was inside the legislative council’s chamber at the time the debate was supposed to start. As you can see, a very empty chamber.

Here’s the full press release from the Hong Kong legislative council:

Under Rules of Procedure 14(3), the President of the Legislative Council has directed that the Council meeting of 12 June 2019 scheduled to begin at 11:00 am today be changed to a later time to be determined by him. Members will be notified of the time of the meeting later.

Debate about legislative assembly cancelled after protests

In a dramatic reversal, debate about the controversial legislation, that was due to happen today, has been cancelled, to be rescheduled for a later date to be announced.

Wednesday's protest – in pictures

Protesters occupy two main highways near the government headquarters in Hong Kong on 12 June as the city braced for another mass rally in a show of strength against the government over a divisive plan to allow extraditions to China.
Protesters occupy two main highways near the government headquarters in Hong Kong on 12 June as the city braced for another mass rally in a show of strength against the government over a divisive plan to allow extraditions to China. Photograph: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images
Protestors run near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong as the administration prepared to open debate on a highly controversial extradition law.
Protestors run near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong as the administration prepared to open debate on a highly controversial extradition law. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP
Protesters wear helmets, masks and protective gear, in anticipation of tear gas and violence from police.
Protesters wear helmets, masks and protective gear, in anticipation of tear gas and violence from police. Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters
Policemen in anti-riot gear stand watch as protesters use umbrellas to shield themselves near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong.
Policemen in anti-riot gear stand watch as protesters use umbrellas to shield themselves near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP
Police officers stand behind riot shields during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill.
Police officers stand behind riot shields during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill. Photograph: Tyrone Siu/Reuters
Tens of thousands of people pack a Hong Kong street while marching to Hong Kong government headquarters to protest the Hong Kong government’s plans to enact an anti-subversion bill.
Tens of thousands of people pack a Hong Kong street while marching to Hong Kong government headquarters to protest the Hong Kong government’s plans to enact an anti-subversion bill. Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP
A protester holds up a placard reading “Against China extradition” during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill in Hong Kong.
A protester holds up a placard reading “Against China extradition” during a demonstration against a proposed extradition bill in Hong Kong. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters

What is the proposed extradition law?

Hong Kong’s amended extradition law would allow the extradition of suspects to mainland China for the first time. Supporters say the amendments are key to ensuring the city does not become a criminal refuge, but critics worry Beijing will use the law to extradite political opponents and others to China where their legal protections cannot be guaranteed.

The government claims the push to change the law, which would also apply to Taiwan and Macau, stems from the killing last year of a Hong Kong woman while she was in Taiwan with her boyfriend. Authorities in Taiwan suspect the woman’s boyfriend, who remains in Hong Kong, but cannot try him because no extradition agreement is in place.

Under the amended law, those accused of offences punishable by seven years or more in prison could be extradited. The new legislation would give Hong Kong’s leader, known as the chief executive, authority to approve extradition requests, after review by the courts. Hong Kong’s legislature, the legislative council, would not have any oversight over the extradition process.

Why are Hong Kongers so angry about the bill?

Many Hong Kongers fear the proposed extradition law will be used by authorities to target political enemies. They worry the new legislation spells the end of the “one country, two systems” policy, eroding the civil rights enjoyed by Hong Kong residents since the handover of sovereignty from the UK to China in 1997.

Many attending the protests on Sunday said they could not trust China as it had often used non-political crimes to target government critics, and said they also feared Hong Kong officials would not be able to reject Beijing’s requests.

Legal professionals have also expressed concern over the rights of those sent across the border to be tried. The conviction rate in Chinese courts is as high as 99%. Arbitrary detentions, torture and denial of legal representation of one’s choosing are also common.

Protesters are anticipating things will get violent.

Our reporter on the ground Verna Yu says volunteers are handing out cling film, umbrellas, water and masks and people are asking “Does anyone have helmets for people at the front?”

Protesters have told our reporter Verna Yu that they have already been sprayed with pepper spray by police.

As well as putting up umbrellas to protect against tear gas, they are also wrapping their skin in cling film.

Updated

Our reporter Verna Yu has been talking to protesters about why they are out on the streets today.

Grace Chan, 30, who has a two-year-old, said: “I don’t want my kid to grow up in a place where we have no sense of security. Although they say the law is for going after fugitives, it can be so easily used for political purpose.”

A 55-year-old lab technician who gave his name only as Chan, said: “I am here for Hong Kong, for our next generation.

“We don’t trust China. Rules and laws can be arbitrarily applied and we can see this in Hong Kong already,” he said, citing the recent disqualifications of pro-democracy lawmakers and jailing of the leaders of the 2014 Occupy Central movement.

Chan said if the law passed he would convert his saving to US dollars and seek to move abroad.

Our reporter on the ground in Hong Kong, Verna Yu, says protesters have put up umbrellas in case the police use tear gas. Here are some videos of the protests that she took earlier this morning.

Debate about the controversial extradition legislation is due to start in the 70-seat legislative council at about 11am or 11:30am local time (in either 30 minutes or an hour’s time).

There won’t be a vote today, as the legislature’s chair, Andrew Leung, has said he would limit debate on the extradition bill to 61 hours, meaning it could be put to a vote on 20 June, reported RTHK.

An extraordinary image from Hong Kong of police officers using a water cannon on a single protester.

Things heat up in Hong Kong

Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the protests in Hong Kong, where tens of thousands of demonstrators have gathered as politicians debate controversial extradition legislation.

Early on Wednesday, major roads were blocked by masses of protesters, who began systematically barricades set up by police near the legislative council building and chanting “retract, retract!” Demonstrators are protesting laws that critics fear would let China spirit its critics across the border.

Things seem to be heating up. Police officers are at the protests in riot gear, with shields, helmets and rifles. South China Morning Post reports that earlier in the day police unfurled a flag with the words: “Disperse or we fire”.

We will be bringing you the coverage of the protests and debate as it happens. My colleagues Verna Yu and Lily Kuo are on the ground in Hong Kong and Beijing respectively, you can get in touch with them or me on Twitter. Otherwise, follow for updates here.

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