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| Hong Kong: tens of thousands turn out to protest against new surveillance tactics | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Tens of thousands of demonstrators have begun an anti-government protest in Hong Kong as the city’s 12th week of protests shows no sign of abating. | |
| Sunday’s rally – in Kowloon’s Kwun Tong district – was sanctioned by the police but many demonstrators still chose to cover their faces with medical masks and many even wore balaclava-style scarves and dark glasses covered with tin foil. | |
| By mid afternoon, a number of protesters had built barricades with bamboo rods and plastic traffic barriers and faced off with riot police outside a police station. | |
| The key theme of the march on Saturday was to oppose the government’s installation of smart lamp posts equipped with sensors, closed-circuit cameras and data networks. The government said the lamp posts would collect air quality, traffic flow and weather data only, although many at the protests say they have covered up themselves in protective gear due to privacy concerns. Many even wrap their wallets and mobile phones in tin foil to skirt possible detection. | |
| “We feel unsafe, that’s why we have to speak up,” said Harry Yip, a school leaver, who said he wore a hat, reflective dark glasses and a black scarf to cover his face to avoid government surveillance. | |
| “Oppose surveillance, save Hong Kong!”, shouted some, while others cried: “Free Hong Kong!”, “Reclaim Hong Kong, revolution of our era!” | |
| Some handed out medical masks while others handed out tin foil to cover phones, credit cards with smart pay functions and also smart identity cards that Hongkongers are mandated to carry. | |
| Others called on fellow protesters to open their umbrellas to shield their faces from surveillance cameras. “Even though this is a police-approved march, you just never know what the police might do later,” said Chris Lam, also in full protective gear. | |
| The fear of surveillance comes amid reports that many Hong Kong residents have been interrogated upon entering mainland China, taken into rooms to have their messages and photos on their phones and computers checked. A member of the British consulate in Hong Kong, Simon Cheng, was released on Saturday after being detained in China for 15 days while there on business. | |
| UK consulate worker detained in China is freed in Hong Kong, says family | UK consulate worker detained in China is freed in Hong Kong, says family |
| More broadly, the city’s demonstrations are aimed at pressuring the Hong Kong government into responding to protesters’ political demands, including the complete withdrawal of the now suspended extradition bill – under which individuals can be sent to China for trial – the setting up of an independent body to investigate police violence, and the free election of Hong Kong’s leaders and legislature. | |
| On Friday night, a human chain stretched for kilometres across both sides of Hong Kong harbour as people turned out for a peaceful demonstration inspired by anti-Soviet protesters in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1989 that became known as the Baltic Way. | |
| Hong Kong’s metro company MTR on Saturday made the unprecedented decision to stop operating trains along a large stretch of a line from 12pm local time in an apparent move to stop protesters from reaching the protest in Kwun Tong, which had been sanctioned by the police to start at 1pm. The Kwun Tong station and three nearby stations were closed. | |
| What do the Hong Kong protesters want? | What do the Hong Kong protesters want? |
| The move comes after state media accused the metro company of helping protesters avoid the police by putting on extra train services at Yuen Long on Wednesday night, after a clash between protesters and police. | The move comes after state media accused the metro company of helping protesters avoid the police by putting on extra train services at Yuen Long on Wednesday night, after a clash between protesters and police. |
| The MTR Corporation has previously stopped services to stations in areas where violence has broken out, but local media noted that it had not stopped trains running ahead of a protest before. | The MTR Corporation has previously stopped services to stations in areas where violence has broken out, but local media noted that it had not stopped trains running ahead of a protest before. |
| Numerous violent confrontations between the police and protesters have erupted during weeks of protests in Hong Kong, a regional financial hub once known as one of the world’s safest cities, in the past two and a half months. | |
| Resentment against the government and police have reached a dangerous level among the Hong Kong population. Although largely peaceful, hardcore protesters have thrown rocks, bricks and slingshots at the police, who have used tear gas, rubber bullets, bean bag rounds and severe beatings to disperse the crowds. | Resentment against the government and police have reached a dangerous level among the Hong Kong population. Although largely peaceful, hardcore protesters have thrown rocks, bricks and slingshots at the police, who have used tear gas, rubber bullets, bean bag rounds and severe beatings to disperse the crowds. |
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| Asia Pacific | Asia Pacific |
| Protest | Protest |
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