HONG KONG: Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters thronged the streets of Hong Kong for a massive rally on New Year’s Day as demonstrators look to carry the momentum of their months-old movement into 2020. Hong Kong has been battered by nearly seven months of unrest, which was sparked by a proposal to allow extraditions to mainland China but morphed into a larger revolt against what many fear is Beijing’s tightening control. Hong Kong saw in the new year with an evening of peaceful protests that descended into tear gas-choked clashes between hardcore demonstrators and the police overnight. “Hong Kong people have been pushed to a hopeless situation. Under the terms of that handover, Hong Kong enjoys unique freedoms unseen on the mainland, but fears have increased in recent years that they are being chipped away as Beijing exerts more control over the territory.

Source: Manila Times January 01, 2020 17:37 UTC