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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/01/hong-kong-protests-subway-to-airport-shut-down-as-activists-out-in-force
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| Hong Kong: thousands of protesters clash with police at airport | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators have descended on Hong Kong’s international airport, blocking roads and filling a bus terminus, in the latest wave of political unrest to hit the city. | |
| Less than 24 hours after protesters and police clashed in running battles on Saturday, demonstrators attempted to paralyse the airport, a major regional hub, on Sunday. | |
| Protesters streamed towards the airport, blocking off a road leading to the departure hall. Outside the airport exits, protesters dismantled fences and constructed barricades. Others faced down rows of police stationed at a bus terminus on the ground floor of the airport, chanting: “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution now!” | |
| Dozens of police patrolled the airport, blocking some exits. | |
| The protests were triggered by a controversial bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where the Communist party controls the courts, but have since evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement. | The protests were triggered by a controversial bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where the Communist party controls the courts, but have since evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement. |
| Public anger – fuelled by the aggressive tactics used by the police against demonstrators – has collided with years of frustration over worsening inequality and the cost of living in one of the world's most expensive, densely populated cities. | Public anger – fuelled by the aggressive tactics used by the police against demonstrators – has collided with years of frustration over worsening inequality and the cost of living in one of the world's most expensive, densely populated cities. |
| The protest movement was given fresh impetus on 21 July when gangs of men attacked protesters and commuters at a mass transit station – while authorities seemingly did little to intervene. | The protest movement was given fresh impetus on 21 July when gangs of men attacked protesters and commuters at a mass transit station – while authorities seemingly did little to intervene. |
| Underlying the movement is a push for full democracy in the city, whose leader is chosen by a committee dominated by a pro-Beijing establishment rather than by direct elections. | Underlying the movement is a push for full democracy in the city, whose leader is chosen by a committee dominated by a pro-Beijing establishment rather than by direct elections. |
| Protesters have vowed to keep their movement going until their core demands are met, such as the resignation of the city’s leader, Carrie Lam, an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested and a permanent withdrawal of the bill. | Protesters have vowed to keep their movement going until their core demands are met, such as the resignation of the city’s leader, Carrie Lam, an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested and a permanent withdrawal of the bill. |
| Beijing’s influence over Hong Kong has grown in recent years, as activists have been jailed and pro-democracy lawmakers disqualified from running or holding office. Independent booksellers have disappeared from the city, before reappearing in mainland China facing charges. | Beijing’s influence over Hong Kong has grown in recent years, as activists have been jailed and pro-democracy lawmakers disqualified from running or holding office. Independent booksellers have disappeared from the city, before reappearing in mainland China facing charges. |
| Under the terms of the agreement by which the former British colony was returned to Chinese control in 1997, the semi-autonomous region was meant to maintain a “high degree of autonomy” through an independent judiciary, a free press and an open market economy, a framework known as “one country, two systems”. | Under the terms of the agreement by which the former British colony was returned to Chinese control in 1997, the semi-autonomous region was meant to maintain a “high degree of autonomy” through an independent judiciary, a free press and an open market economy, a framework known as “one country, two systems”. |
| The extradition bill was seen as an attempt to undermine this and to give Beijing the ability to try pro-democracy activists under the judicial system of the mainland. | The extradition bill was seen as an attempt to undermine this and to give Beijing the ability to try pro-democracy activists under the judicial system of the mainland. |
| Lam has shown no sign of backing down beyond agreeing to suspend the extradition bill, while Beijing has issued increasingly shrill condemnations but has left it to the city's semi-autonomous government to deal with the situation. Meanwhile police have violently clashed directly with protesters, repeatedly firing teargas and rubber bullets. | Lam has shown no sign of backing down beyond agreeing to suspend the extradition bill, while Beijing has issued increasingly shrill condemnations but has left it to the city's semi-autonomous government to deal with the situation. Meanwhile police have violently clashed directly with protesters, repeatedly firing teargas and rubber bullets. |
| Beijing has ramped up its accusations that foreign countries are “fanning the fire” of unrest in the city. China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi has ordered the US to “immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any form”. | Beijing has ramped up its accusations that foreign countries are “fanning the fire” of unrest in the city. China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi has ordered the US to “immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs in any form”. |
| Lily Kuo and Verna Yu in Hong Kong | Lily Kuo and Verna Yu in Hong Kong |
| After dozens of riot police arrived, a group of protesters piled on to a bus and left, retreating to occupy a highway leading to the airport. Some carried metal poles and fire extinguishers. | |
| “I’m not scared because many Hongkongers have already been caught. I know I’m not alone,” said Lui Cheung, 17, wearing goggles and a scarf to cover his face and holding a small rock as he retreated. | |
| “The government has not answered us, so we keep coming,” said Engred Lai, 18, who was in a metro station on Saturday that was stormed by police, who chased and and arrested protesters. | |
| Inside the airport, groups of confused travellers knocked on the doors of blocked entryways, arguing with security and waving their plane tickets. Travellers abandoned taxis and dragged their luggage towards the terminal after protesters blocked roads. | |
| Authorities shut a train service linking the city to the airport and several buses stopped running. Road blocks were also set up and cars approaching the airport searched. Police along a bridge took photos of approaching cars. | |
| The demonstrations followed running battles with police throughout Saturday night and early Sunday morning, marking the 13th consecutive weekend of mass protests. | |
| Police later stormed several metro stations, chasing and beating people believed to be protesters. In one incident, officers stormed a train carriage at Prince Edward station in Kowloon, using batons to beat people and deploying pepper spray. | |
| Hong Kong is facing its worst political crisis in decades, triggered by a proposed bill to allow extradition to mainland China. The protests, which started in June, have morphed into a broader political movement demanding democracy for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. | |
| As the protests have dragged on with neither side showing signs of backing down, Hong Kong police have deployed harsher tactics. On Saturday, as helicopters hovered overhead, police fired rounds of teargas and water cannon at protesters, staining them with blue dye to mark them for arrest later. | |
| Hong Kong: ‘Revolution is war, and no war is without bloodshed’ | |
| Protesters have escalated their tactics, throwing petrol bombs and bricks at police, and destroying cameras and ticket machines in the public transit system. Protesters built a pyre across a road outside the police headquarters in the commercial district of Wan Chai, and set it on fire. | |
| On Sunday, the normally bustling Hong Kong was quiet and roads were empty. Several shops and malls had closed early during the previous day’s clashes. | On Sunday, the normally bustling Hong Kong was quiet and roads were empty. Several shops and malls had closed early during the previous day’s clashes. |
| “Day by day this doesn’t feel like Hong Kong,” said Joey Cheung, a taxi driver who was trying to get to the airport. “If Hong Kong keeps going this way, who knows what will happen. Either a police or a protester – someone is going to get killed soon, very soon.” | “Day by day this doesn’t feel like Hong Kong,” said Joey Cheung, a taxi driver who was trying to get to the airport. “If Hong Kong keeps going this way, who knows what will happen. Either a police or a protester – someone is going to get killed soon, very soon.” |
| In August, protesters shut down the airport for several days, where they blocked travellers from reaching their flights and mobbed two men suspected of being spies, in ugly scenes for which protesters later apologised. | |
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