Hong Kong’s leader announces withdrawal of extradition bill that caused months of protests

Published time: 4 Sep, 2019 10:04Edited time: 4 Sep, 2019 11:30

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A news conference of Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam is televised in Hong Kong, China, September 4, 2019 ©  Reuters / Kai Pfaffenbach

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam has officially announced she is withdrawing the earlier-suspended extradition bill that sparked massive protests and riots in the city. Some protesters are already saying it’s ‘too little, too late.’

“The government will formally withdraw the bill in order to fully allay public concerns,” Lam said in a televised speech on Wednesday.

The bill, that would have allowed criminal suspects to be brought to mainland China for trial, has led to massive protests which spiraled into rioting and violent clashes with police. The protesters occupied several buildings, including the city’s parliament, and disrupted operations at Hong Kong airport.

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The protests were openly endorsed by officials and high-profile politicians in the US and some other Western countries. China blasted this input as an effort to incite more anti-Beijing rioting in Hong Kong.

Although Lam had previously said that the extradition bill was effectively “dead,”the protesters did not relent, as their demands grew to include calls for a broader political reform.

Protesters are calling for rallies to continue despite the bill’s cancellation. “Too little and too late now,” prominent activist and secretary general of the opposition group Demosisto, Joshua Wong, tweeted. He says “police brutality” has left “an irreversible scar” on Hong Kong society, adding that people “would not believe”the announcement of withdrawal is sincere.

Joshua Wong 黃之鋒

✔@joshuawongcf

Initial response to Carrie Lam:

1. Too little and too late now — Carrie Lam's response comes after 7 lives sacrificed, more than 1,200 protestors arrested, in which many are mistreated in police station.

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2:07 PM - Sep 4, 2019

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Emboldened protesters have now expanded their list of demands to include four more: a public probe into the actions of police, not designating the clashes as riots, amnesty for the arrested protesters, and electoral reform.

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