The biggest performance ever in Hong Kong
For the first time since August, the police allowed this rally of the pro-democracy group Civil Human Rights Front.
Organizers say that around eight lakh people took part in it, while the police have given the number of protesters to one lakh 83 thousand.
Before the rally, the police raided and arrested 11 people and claimed to have recovered a handgun.
Demonstrations started here in June over a disputed extradition bill and have now turned into mass anti-government protests.
During the performance, a 40-year-old woman in Victoria Park, June said, “I will struggle for freedom till death.”
In a statement issued on Saturday, the government appealed to maintain peace and said that it has gained lessons and will now listen to people with sympathy and accept criticism.
Completed six months of performance
After this rally, the government said that it is trying to solve the deepening problem of Hong Kong through dialogue.
When the huge rally took place on 9 June, six months will be completed on Monday.
These demonstrations created a major political crisis that took this semi-autonomous region of China under its arrest.
The organizers of the rally, the Civil Human Rights Front, said the government has the last resort to accede to their demands to conduct an independent investigation into police behavior with protesters, those who have been arrested, to be released, and to conduct fair elections.
In recent times, these demonstrations have become violent, due to which a crisis has arisen as to how to stop this unrest.
Since June, six thousand people have been arrested and hundreds have been injured, including policemen.
Although Sunday’s rally was generally peaceful, there were reports of violence in some places.
At the last stop of this rally, the protesters lit their mobile torches and shouted anti-government slogans.
Violence news
Meanwhile, the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal have been harmed and police say they were attacked with petrol bombs.
The rally’s organizers, police and government have condemned the attack and said that it was an action to tarnish Hong Kong’s image.
Earlier, the police said that an automatic pistol, 105 live cartridges, knives, and crackers were destroyed in the raid. It is being said that this is the first time that handguns were recovered in these demonstrations for the first time.
There has been some peace in the city since the massive victory of pro-democracy candidates in local body elections two weeks ago.
But discontent remains against Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and protesters are demanding more concessions from the government.
This is how it started
According to the news agency AFP, a protestor Wang said that it does not matter how much we raise our voice in peaceful rallies, elections, the government is not going to listen to us.
Hong Kong demonstrations began in June against a bill relating to extradition to trial in China for serious crimes.
Critics feared that this law would end judicial independence and pose a danger to those who disagreed.
Although the bill was withdrawn by the government in September, the protests continued again.
By the year 1997, Hong Kong was a colony of Britain, but it was transferred to China. Under the agreement of one country and two systems, it got some degree of autonomy and the citizens here have some more rights.