Thousands March Through HK Island, Kowloon

Thousands of people joined protests on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon on Sunday, many of them in response to online calls for action against the newly introduced face mask ban.

Protesters marched from Causeway Bay towards Central, most wearing masks or using other items to cover their faces, despite the new law introduced under emergency powers on Friday.

Protesters occupied all lanes of Hennessey Road and Yee Wo Street as they headed into Wan Chai under steady rain.

They carried a large banner that said "Hong Kong Police attempt to murder", and shouted slogans including "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time" and "Disband the Hong Kong Police".

Some people gave out masks to those participants without them.

One protester told RTHK that it was unfair that police officers are exempt from the new mask law. He also insisted it is his right to take part in the march, which was not authorised by the authorities.

"We've seen the abuse of power by the police in the past few months. The force is not open and transparent. Now there's the anti-mask law but the officers are still wearing their masks when working," he said.

Another marcher said many people would like to express their views in a peaceful manner, but action taken by the police, such as the firing of tear gas, makes public assemblies dangerous.

A woman surnamed Lee and her husband were marching with their one-year-old toddler. She told RTHK she doesn’t normally wear a mask to protests, but decided to cover her face this time.

Meanwhile, thousands of people were marching along Nathan Road from Tsim Sha Tsui, with Kowloon Tong apparently the destination.

The crowds jeered as they passed the police station in Tsim Sha Tsui, shouting that officers are corrupt. Disbanding the police force has now become the sixth demand of the anti-government protesters.

In a social media post, the police said the protesters were participating in illegal assemblies and urged them to stop their action immediately.

The force appealed to motorists to avoid driving to the affected areas.

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