(9 Aug 2019) Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said Friday her priority is to "stop the violence" rather than make political concessions as the city's 2-month-long protest movement pressed on with a demonstration at the airport. Lam said traffic disruptions and confrontations between police and protesters have hurt the economy, particularly the retail and food and beverage sectors.
The demonstrations, however, are not abating and more are planned for this weekend, including at the airport, where protesters holding signs staged a sit-in at the arrival and departure halls Friday.
Police said they had not received a formal application for the airport protest and warned against violence or disruptions that could endanger public safety.
They have issued four objection letters for marches planned for the weekend.
Signs held by protesters in the arrival hall included ones saying "There are no rioters, only tyranny," while pamphlets stacked in piles warned visitors of the heavy use of tear gas by police.
Officers said 800 canisters of tear gas were used during protests on Monday alone, and journalists and protesters say many suffered skin irritation and other injuries as a result.
While the airport appeared to be operating normally, extra identification checks were in place for both travellers and employees, and airlines were advising passengers to arrive earlier than usual for check-in.
There was no indication Friday that police planned to use force to end what was planned as a three-day demonstration.
A similar airport protest on July 26 ended peacefully.
Find out more about AP Archive:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Google+:
Tumblr:
Instagram:
You can license this story through AP Archive:
0 Comments