Thousands of protesters, dressed in black, with some wearing helmets and face masks, had occupied roads around Hong Kong’s legislature early Monday. They barricaded streets and marched as they sought to disrupt a morning ceremony at the city’s convention center that was to be attended by the Hong Kong’s embattled leader, Carrie Lam, and other top officials. Some protesters tried to charge by pushing steel barricades at the police and hid under umbrellas to protect them from pepper spray. They were stopped by officers who struck them with batons and doused them with pepper spray. Huge crowds of demonstrators have taken to Hong Kong’s streets in the past several weeks, protesting a bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China.

Source: International New York Times June 30, 2019 23:57 UTC