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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2019/jun/12/hong-kong-protest-demonstrators-and-police-face-off-over-extradition-bill-live
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| Hong Kong protest: debate on extradition bill delayed after tens of thousands of people protest – live | Hong Kong protest: debate on extradition bill delayed after tens of thousands of people protest – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Supply station reviving drop offs at Admiralty for the #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/1LJJWC1IPB | |
| Supply trolley pushing through with food, water, Womens hygiene products, and a bible. #hongkongprotests pic.twitter.com/vZ7jxKiDAk | |
| Map of protests | |
| 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. | |
| Barricades have become makeshift ladders to get over the road divider at asdmiralty. It’s just started pouring. #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/GWKAq2m1pq | |
| 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!” | 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?’ | 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.’ | 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! | 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! |
| Pro-democracy legislator Claudia Mo has addressed the crowds. “We are back!” She says. “We underestimated people-power in Beijing and we thank you!” pic.twitter.com/HjwOtaR1OB | Pro-democracy legislator Claudia Mo has addressed the crowds. “We are back!” She says. “We underestimated people-power in Beijing and we thank you!” pic.twitter.com/HjwOtaR1OB |
| Silence from China about protests | Silence from China about protests |
| On Wednesday, China was conspicuously quiet about the protests that had erupted overnight. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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.” | Another wrote: “Some young mainland Chinese are too naive. I support Hong Kong people.” |
| Businesses close in solidarity with protesters | 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. | 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. | 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. | “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. | 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. | 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. | The protests have made the front page of Wednesday’s New York Times. |
| National edition front page in the US. Wednesday morning photo by @LamYikFei https://t.co/Gf0ObsuatA pic.twitter.com/kfMNpGt0eT | National edition front page in the US. Wednesday morning photo by @LamYikFei https://t.co/Gf0ObsuatA pic.twitter.com/kfMNpGt0eT |
| Verna Yu reports that the crowd is being urged to continue with the protest. She says: | 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!” | 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!” | The crowd continues to shout “Retract! Retract!” |
| “Retract! Retract!” chant the crowd in Hong Kong. They are not backing down despite the announcement the debate in parliament would be postponed. #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/hlUT7ykZBL | “Retract! Retract!” chant the crowd in Hong Kong. They are not backing down despite the announcement the debate in parliament would be postponed. #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/hlUT7ykZBL |
| 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. | 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. | 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’”. | “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’”. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | “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. |
| 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”. | 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. | 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. |
| The scene inside LegCo’s chamber before the scheduled #extraditionbill meeting at 11aHKT. But can members arrive here to attend? pic.twitter.com/9Ij8dNEs6v | The scene inside LegCo’s chamber before the scheduled #extraditionbill meeting at 11aHKT. But can members arrive here to attend? pic.twitter.com/9Ij8dNEs6v |
| Here’s the full press release from the Hong Kong legislative council: | 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. | 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. |