Thousands march in Hong Kong over proposed extradition law changes
Protesters fear loss of personal freedom and the city’s status as an international business hub
Hong Kong — Thousands of people protested in Hong Kong on Sunday against a government plan to change extradition laws, fearing an erosion of personal freedom and the city’s status as an international business hub. The Hong Kong government proposal, announced in February, would grant the city’s leader executive power to send fugitives to jurisdictions not covered by existing arrangements, including mainland China and Taiwan. Protest organisers said 12,000 people took the streets on Sunday, while police estimated the crowd at 5,200 at its peak. “Hong Kong people all have to bear the negative consequence of this ordinance. This carries the risk of personal freedom being restricted,” Lam Wing-kee, a bookseller who said in 2016 he was detained by Chinese agents, told the crowd. The government said last week it will present the amendments to legislators on Wednesday. The planned changes have been strongly opposed by some legislators, and legal and rights groups who fear that it could be e...
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