Huge Turnout For Second Anti-extradition Rally

Hundreds of thousands of people have heeded the call for a second mass demonstration against the government's extradition bill, with a huge turnout apparently on the same scale - if not greater than - the previous week.

All lanes of Hennessy Road have been opened for today's march, after minor clashes with police last weekend. Protesters had become upset at being stuck in the heat and not allowed to use the other lanes, until police relented following a few scuffles. By 4pm today however, the march had been peaceful with no reports of any serious problems.

The MTR says some Chai Wan bound trains are passing through Tin Hau and Causeway Bay stations, while crowd management measures are in place at Hong Kong, Mong Kok and Yau Tong stations.

The march was organised following continued public anger over the extradition bill, even after the Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced its temporary suspension on Saturday. Lam made the decision following what organisers said was a million-strong march last Sunday, and then violent scenes on Wednesday night as police used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear demonstrators who had occupied roads around government headquarters.

Bonnie Leung, of march organiser Civil Human Rights Front, said: "What I really want is for Carrie Lam to withdraw the bill and relieve all the social pressure. So we demand Carrie Lam apologise to the people, to apologise to the protesters, also to withdraw saying that the protest was a riot...

"Only when Carrie Lam apologises, withdraws the bill and steps down will Hong Kong people end all of our protests," she said.

"We believe that the suspension of the bill is a tactic of the Hong Kong government; that they only do this not to really listen to the people, not to do real amendments to protect Hong Kong's freedom and Hong Kong's rule of law."

Meanwhile it's been announced that unions and other groups are still planning to go a head with strikes planned for Monday. Reports on Saturday that the action had been called off appear to have been due to miscommunication between various organisers.

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