HONG KONG — Thousands of protesters blocked a major thoroughfare and surrounded the headquarters of Hong Kong’s police force on Friday, putting new pressure on the city’s leadership over an unpopular bill that has thrown the territory into a political crisis. The demonstrators, mostly teenagers and people in their 20s, dressed in black, filled the main roads around the police complex in stifling 90-degree weather, chanting calls for the authorities to release protesters who were arrested last week. The government shut down its headquarters for the day, citing security concerns, and the legislature canceled all meetings. It was the latest of several mass demonstrations in the span of two weeks that have paralyzed parts of downtown Hong Kong, in scenes reminiscent of the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement protests, which saw major districts occupied for more than two months.

Source: New York Times June 21, 2019 03:15 UTC