Tens of thousands march in Hong Kong to protest proposed extradition law
Pro-democracy organisers estimate as many 130,000 protesters took part
Legislator Chan, Occupy leader Chu, and Cardinal Zen were among the attendees.Tens of thousands of Hongkongers joined a protest this afternoon against the Government's proposed law to hand over fugitives from Hong Kong to the mainland, Taiwan and Macau.
Several people carried yellow umbrellas, the symbol of the Occupy Central protests - also known as the Umbrella Movement - which partially shut down the city for three months in 2014.
Organised by the pro-democracy Civil Human Rights Front, the “Withdraw Extradition Law Amendment” march began in East Point Road, Causeway Bay at about 4pm, and was set to end outside the Legislative Council in Admiralty.
The Civil Human Rights Front demanded the proposed law be dropped immediately, calling the controversial plan the “send to China rules”, a phrase which in Cantonese sounds like the term for funeral rites.
The Front claimed 130,000 people participated in the protest today, but police estimated the turnout at its peak was 22,800.
Occupy leader Chu Yiu-ming, lawmaker Tanya Chan, and Cardinal Joseph Zen also attended. They were seen at a stall set up by the Justice Defence Fund, raising funds for the legal appeals of the nine people arrested for their part in Occupy Central.
The Front organised a similar march last month and at the time claimed a turnout of about 12,000, while police put their estimate at some 5,200.