Hong Kong Teachers Taking To Streets For Large-Scale Anti-Government Rally

HONG KONG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2019) Hong Kong teachers on Saturday walked out for a large-scale anti-government demonstration against the extradition law, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene.

Members of the Hong Kong Teachers Union are gathering at the Chater Garden park in central Hong Kong.

"We are going to march to the office of the head of administration, Carrie Lam," a representative of the rally organizers told Sputnik.

The spokeswoman added that the organizers could not suggest how many people would join them, adding that they would provide their assessments late in the day.

Currently, it rains heavily in Hong Kong but protesters say it would not prevent them from participating in the rally.

"We will go anyway.

We do not care," one of the demonstrators told Sputnik.

Demands of the teachers union's members are the same as those of other protesters. They include fully abandoning the extradition law, which would allow Hong Kong authorities to extradite suspects to various jurisdictions, including mainland China, without any bilateral agreements, which are currently required for it.

The protesters are also calling on the authorities to investigate the use of force by police against participants of earlier demonstrations.

China's semi-autonomous region has been rocked by the protests since early June. At first, the rallies were peaceful but they subsequently led to violent clashes between the demonstrators and the police.