London, June 20: A new wave of mass demonstration broke on the streets of Hong Kong on Wednesday after the Chinese-ruled city’s leader Carrie Lam ignored a Thursday protest deadline to withdraw a controversial extradition bill set by some protesters.
According to Reuters news reports, Lam has suspended the bill, which permits Hong Kong authority to sent suspects to mainland China for prosecution, but some student protest group called on her to withdraw the bill, setting a deadline by Thursday.
They also demanded the government to drop the charges levelled against the detained marchers during the last week’s demonstration, and charge the security forces what they called as violent actions, and also stop calling them riot.
The group pledged to summon on Friday at the Legislative Council if their demands weren’t met, which would likely rage the friction in the financial market and further raise new issues about China-backed Lam’s ability to lead the territory.
Lam has on Tuesday hinted the end to the controversial extradition bill after seeing violent protests in the territory since the ex-British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. In a media conference, Hong Kong leaders apologized for the state of turmoil but however, refused to withdraw the bill.
“Because this bill over the past few months has caused so much anxiety, and worries and differences in opinion, I will not, this is an undertaking, I will not proceed again with this legislative exercise if these fears and anxieties cannot be adequately addressed,” Lam told reporters.
When asked whether she would step down from the office, Lam refused to do so, stating important work still remained undone ahead in the coming three years, which would eventually bring her to the end of her tenure.
Also read: Hong Kong leader Lam signals ‘end’ to extradition bill but refuses to step down