Anti-extradition Banners Hung On Kowloon Hills

Banners carrying slogan opposing changes to the extradition laws were hung on two prominent Kowloon hills on Sunday morning, as activists continued to press for a halt to the changes.

The huge yellow banners were mounted on Beacon Hill and Lion Rock in the early morning. Pro-democracy activists had previously hung similar banners on Lion Rock in support of the 2014 Occupy protests.

The banners are are the latest stage in the fight against changes to the extradition laws. The government wants to make it easier to initiate the surrender of fugitives to jurisdictions with which Hong Kong does not have a formal agreement, including the mainland.

Supporters say the changes will close a loophole which could allow Hong Kong to become a haven for criminals. Critics say the plan will put Hongkongers at risk of unfair trials and human rights abuses on the mainland.

They appeared a day after unprecedented scenes of scuffling in the Legislative Council, where pan-democratic and pro-establishment lawmakers are in a bitter dispute over who should lead a bills committee looking into the law changes.