Extradition Protests Fizzle Out In Early Hours

The last of the crowds of people who defied tear gas and rubber bullets to keep up a protest over extradition law changes faded away in the early hours of Thursday morning, after a day of violence that put dozens of people in hospital.

After clashes with the police around the Legislative Council on Wednesday afternoon, protesters were pushed further and further out into Central and Wan Chai by the evening.

Hundreds blocked off Connaught Road Central and Harcourt Road, with police keeping their distance until they eventually pulled out altogether.

It had been a different story on Queensway, though, where officers fired tear gas to scatter the demonstrators, only to see the crowd regroup moments later.

But by around 2am, piles of rubbish and debris used as make-shift barriers were all that was left in the usually busy roads and these too were being cleared away, enabling vehicles to start passing through once again.

One protester told RTHK that people had responded to online calls for them to retreat from the scene, but demonstrators were being urged to return at 7am.

Health officials said more than 70 people had been treated in hospital for injuries sustained during the protests, including an RTHK driver who was seriously hurt after being hit by a tear gas round.

The authorities condemned the violence and described it as "organised rioting", a claim that was laughed off by pro-democracy activists who accused the police of using excessive force against the demonstrators.

The Legco debate on the extradition bill was postponed on Wednesday given the chaos outside the council building, and it was unclear whether it will get going on Thursday instead.

Nevertheless, the Civil Human Rights Front called for a city-wide strike, while the Professional Teachers' Union called for class boycotts for a week.