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Do not extradite Edward Snowden, protesters urge Hong Kong Do not extradite Edward Snowden, protesters urge Hong Kong
(about 1 hour later)
Hundreds of protesters have urged Hong Kong's government not to extradite the National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden and attacked the US over its spying programmes. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Hong Kong despite heavy rain on Saturday to voice support for the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and to press the United States to change its surveillance policies.
Snowden, who revealed the extent of US internet surveillance to the Guardian, is believed to be living in Hong Kong. Waving placards and chanting "protect free speech – protect Snowden", they rallied in the centre of the city before marching past the US consulate and gathering outside government offices.
Protesters marched to the US consulate holding banners and shouting "Defend free speech", "Protect Snowden", "No extradition" and "Respect Hong Kong law". Human rights groups and other organisations arranged the afternoon rally after Snowden told the South China Morning Post that he planned to stay in the territory and "ask the courts and people of Hong Kong to decide my fate". Three days earlier he revealed his identity and his presence in Hong Kong in a video interview with the Guardian.
The US has launched a criminal investigation after Snowden, a former CIA technical assistant, leaked details of Washington's secret internet and telephone surveillance programmes. Hong Kong has a well-used surrender treaty with the US. Supporters say they are concerned that Beijing might intervene in the decision and worry about his treatment if he is sent back to the US.
The protesters, made up of 27 civil society organisations, handed over a letter to the US consulate, addressed to Consul General Steve Young, which said: "For many years, the US state department has publicly supported the cause of internet freedom and criticised other governments for conducting cyberattacks, surveillance and censorship. Legislator Charles Mok told the crowd of more than 500 that they were there to protect not just Snowden but "all of us", given the allegations about US surveillance. Snowden told the South China Morning Post that the US had hacked hundreds of targets in the territory and on the mainland.
"We now understand, through recent revelations, that the US government has been operating their own blanket surveillance systems and allegedly conducting cyber-warfare against Hong Kong. This is a violation of the human rights of the people of Hong Kong and around the world." Albert Ho Chun-yan, a high-profile Democratic politician, said: "It's unlawful, unjustified and unscrupulous … We demand the whole truth be disclosed by the US administration, an unconditional apology from [Barack] Obama and an assurance this interference will stop."
Hong Kong has a longstanding extradition treaty with the US, but Beijing could veto any ruling. Allen Kuo, 43, who works in finance, said that as an American the behaviour of the US was "an embarrassment". Holding a sign reading "We stand with Snowden", he added: "People say he is a traitor and what he has done is illegal. I think spying on American people is unconstitutional and we need to address that first."
Oiwan Lam, a spokewoman for the rally, told Agence France Presse: "Snowden is now in Hong Kong and falls under our jurisdiction and we have to defend the fact that the city's courts are in the position to deal with the situation." Ruth Jopling, whose two young daughters were clutching Snowden masks, said: "We think it does not just affect us but the next generation. That's why we have come as a family. It's time to stand up: he came to Hong Kong, so he must trust us to do something, and it's not good if we let him down."
MP Leung Kwok-hung called the US president, Barack Obama, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, "twin brothers" when it came to internet spying. "The most important thing is defending Mr Snowden. If he can be extradited and be punished, who will be the second whistleblower?" One placard in the crowd read "Read my lips, not my emails". Others had images of Obama above the slogan "Big brother is watching you".
Several pictured both the US president and the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, reinforcing the message from many protesters that they should not have to choose between criticising the US or Beijing.
Oiwan Lam, one of the rally's organisers, said: "In the past we have campaigned against Beijing, usually against their violations of rights and free speech … It's not fair to use one evil to cover another."
Tsui Hon Kong, of the Professional Teachers Union, which backed the protest, compared Snowden's case to that of a Chinese journalist who leaked a propaganda directive banning discussion of the anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on the student protests in Tiananmen Square. Shi Tao was jailed after Yahoo handed email records to the Chinese government.
Tsui said the case was similar because it was about governments ordering internet providers to give them information about customers. "The important thing is that many Americans came forward to speak up for Shi Tao. Now it's our turn," he said.
A small poll conducted for the South China Morning Post found that one in two Hong Kong residents did not believe Snowden should be returned if the US makes a surrender request.
Half of the 509 respondents in the poll, conducted by the Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey at Chinese University, said they were against or strongly against his surrender, the Post reported.
Nearly one in five said Hong Kong should hand him over, and the remainder refused to answer or said they had not formed an opinion.
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