CE's 'lies' Won't Stop Sunday's Protest: Activists

Pro-democracy activists say they are pressing ahead with a fresh protest march on Sunday – despite the government's move to halt Legco scrutiny of proposed new extradition laws – warning that the legislative process can be resumed with as little as 12 days' notice.

The Civil Human Rights Front, which is organising a repeat of last Sunday's march from Victoria Park to Tamar, says it doesn't think Hong Kong people will be satisfied with the bill's suspension, and they will want to keep up the pressure on the government until the legislation is withdrawn completely.

"Hong Kong people do understand what is happening and we can see through the lies of [Chief Executive] Carrie Lam," said the group's spokeswoman Bonnie Leung.

Leung added that the "violent actions" of police officers who cleared protesters off the streets last Wednesday with tear gas and rubber bullets will be the driving force behind future demonstrations against the extradition bill.

But the front said that being as Legco debates on the bill have now been cancelled, it is withdrawing its call for a rally and class boycott on Monday.

Meanwhile, Legco's pro-democracy lawmakers accused Lam of lacking sincerity with her move to pull the bill for time being.

The camp's convenor, Claudia Mo, said Lam must withdraw the legislation and then resign over the controversy it has caused.

"Democrats in Hong Kong simply cannot accept this suspension, because a suspension is temporary. The pain is still there, you are just delaying the pain. And this so-called concession from Carrie Lam is too little, too late, Mo said.

"If she refuses to withdraw, to scrap this controversial bill altogether it would mean we wouldn't retreat. If she stays on, we stay on."

Mo also said that the authorities must stop classifying the clashes between extradition bill protesters and the police last Wednesday as a "riot."

"It was not a riot in any sense," she said.