No Sign Of Mass Protests As Govt Offices Reopen

The areas around the government headquarters remained calm with no sign of mass protests by 11am despite a new online call to surround the area as civil servants returned to work on Monday.

The online call had said their action had said the anti-extradition bill protesters would gather outside government offices at 10.30am and start a blockade by 11am. But an RTHK reporter at the scene said there was no sign of a crowd by that time outside the government offices or the Legco complex.

The government headquarters was closed on Wednesday and Thursday last week due to the protests. It was reopened on Friday, but staff were asked to leave early when protesters besieged the complex in the afternoon.

A civil servant going in to work at the central government offices in Tamar on Monday told RTHK that she’s not worried about another round of action, because she believes most protesters are rational and would try to solve any problems peacefully.

She added, though, she hoped protesters would not affect the operations of government departments, because the staff are there to provide services to the public.

Another civil servant said she had also taken part in the rallies against the extradition bill, and she hoped the government would respond to protesters’ demands as soon as possible.

The call to protest on Monday appeared online as no visible leader has emerged in the current movement, unlike the protests in 2014. Most protesters were mobilised through group chat forums, with political parties and groups like student federations and civic fronts joining the actions.

Demosisto leader Joshua Wong on Monday acknowledged this, saying that he doesn’t think he, or any other politician or body could hold talks with the government on behalf of the protesters.

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