Some 3,000 School Students Gather At Hong Kong Extradition Bill Protest - Reports

About 3,000 people gathered in Hong Kong at a protest by middle school students against the notorious extradition bill, local media reported Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2019) About 3,000 people gathered in Hong Kong at a protest by middle school students against the notorious extradition bill, local media reported Thursday.

According to the RTHK broadcaster, the organizers claim that 2,000-3,000 people came to the Edinburgh Place square in central Hong Kong.

The participants held a minute's silence at 19:21 local time expressing their discontent with the attacks on protesters that took place on July 21 at Yuen Long subway station and left about 50 people injured.

The protests began more than two months ago after the local legislature opened debates on a bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China.

The city's chief executive, Carrie Lam, has since declared the bill "dead." The protesters, however, are demanding that it must be withdrawn completely. Locals also want the city authorities to implement universal suffrage and retract criminal charges against the protesters.

Beijing has condemned radical and illegal demonstrations and has stressed the need to counter vandalism by some protesters. It has also urged everyone to respect the law and has condemned what it called foreign meddling in support of protesters.