"There is another large group of people in the central district, which we are unable to count, but I am sure that the total number of participants is much more than 1.7 million people", Jimmy Sham told reporters.

By midnight (16:00 GMT Sunday), almost all the protesters, who had earlier gathered near a complex of government buildings in Admiralty area in the city’s central district, left the site, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

Earlier, they pounded with their umbrellas on the 6.6-foot barriers installed around the Legislative Council building with umbrellas, with separate individuals, amid cheers from the crowd, attempting to climb over them.

They also shone lasers and flashlights at the building, albeit making no radical attempts to break through the barriers. Demonstrators did not block the traffic either. No police officers were seen nearby.

​Activists were dressed in black clothing, masks, helmets, with some of them having walkie-talkies or carrying UK and US flags.

After the rally, the crowd took away any garbage produced and urged numerous journalists to go home and "not stage riots".

​Earlier in the day, the opposition Civil Human Rights Front organised a mass demonstration in Victoria Park. Even though the police only sanctioned the rally in Victoria Park, the protesters, despite rainy weather, soon left the park to join an unauthorised march.

In total, Hong Kong is home to about 7.5 million people, including about 6 million adults. The Sunday rally is not the first action of such a scale. On 16 June some 2 million joined the protests.

Mass protests erupted in China's semi-autonomous Hong Kong in early June in response to a controversial bill that would allow extraditions to the mainland. Although the local parliament eventually announced that it had suspended the bill, people continue to protest, demanding that it be withdrawn completely. They also want the city authorities to implement universal suffrage and retract criminal charges against protesters.

At first, the rallies were peaceful but they subsequently led to violent clashes between the demonstrators and the police. </s> HONG KONG: Tens of thousands of Hong Kong activists gathered on Sunday (Aug 18) afternoon for a major rally in Victoria Park to show the city's leaders their protest movement still attracts wide public support despite mounting violence.



The rally stretched to a small march outside Tin Hau MTR station near Victoria Park, with protesters holding up placards and chanting.

Protesters march near the Tin Hau MTR station in Hong Kong on Aug 18, 2019, in the latest opposition to a planned extradition law that has since morphed into a wider call for democratic rights in the semi-autonomous city. (Photo: LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) 



An exhausted protester (C) receives assistance from medics at the Tin Hau MTR station in Hong Kong on Aug 18, 2019, during a rally in the latest opposition to a planned extradition law that has since morphed into a wider call for democratic rights in the semi-autonomous city. (Photo: LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) ​​​​​​​



Ten weeks of demonstrations have plunged the financial hub into crisis with images of masked black-clad protesters engulfed by tear gas during street battles with riot police stunning a city once renowned for its stability.

Communist-ruled mainland China has taken an increasingly hardline tone towards the protesters, decrying the "terrorist-like" actions of a violent hardcore minority among the demonstrators.

Despite the near-nightly clashes with police, the movement has won few concessions from Beijing or the city's unelected leadership.

On Tuesday, protesters blocked passengers from boarding flights at the city's airport and later assaulted two men they accused of being Chinese spies.

The images damaged a campaign that until then had largely targeted the police or government institutions, and prompted an apology from some of the protest groups.

Sunday's rally at the city's Victoria Park is an attempt to wrestle the narrative of the protest back.

It is a "rational, non-violent" demonstration, according to organiser Civil Human Rights Front, the driving force behind record-breaking rallies in June and July that saw hundreds of thousands of people hit the streets.

Police have given permission for the rally to go ahead but banned a proposed march.

Previous bans on marches have been ignored by protesters, leading to clashes with riot police.

"We expect a huge number of participants ... we hope to show to the world Hong Kong people can be totally peaceful," Bonnie Leung, a spokeswoman for the Civil Human Rights Front told reporters.

"If Beijing and Hong Kong's tactic is to wait for our movement to die, they are wrong ... we will soldier on."

China's propaganda apparatus has seized on the weeks of violence, with state media churning out a deluge of damning articles, pictures and videos.

State media also ran images of military personnel and armoured personnel carriers across the border in Shenzhen, prompting the United States to warn Beijing against sending in troops.

Analysts say any intervention by Chinese security forces would be a reputational and economic disaster for China.

During smaller protest marches on Saturday - which ended without large-scale clashes - many protesters chanted "See you in Victoria Park!" as they left the streets.

Tens of thousands of protesters massed in the park as the rally started on Sunday afternoon, while many others thronged the nearby streets in a show of defiance expected to stretch into the evening.

"We have tried many times with peaceful approaches ... I really hope the government can listen to us."

The unprecedented political crisis was sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland.

But protests have since morphed into a wider call for democratic rights in the semi-autonomous city.

Under a deal signed with Britain, authoritarian China agreed to allow Hong Kong to keep its unique freedoms when it was handed back in 1997.

But many Hong Kongers feel those freedoms are being chipped away, especially since China's hardline president Xi Jinping came to power.

In the last two months millions of people have hit the streets.

Battles between police firing tear gas and rubber bullets - and hardcore protesters using rocks, Molotov cocktails and slingshots - have since become routine in the city.

Both sides trade the blame for provoking the violence.

Beyond suspending the extradition Bill, Beijing and city leader Carrie Lam have shown no desire to meet key demands such as an inquiry into police violence, the complete withdrawal of the Bill and an amnesty.

Beijing has turned the screws on Hong Kong's businesses, pressuring them to toe the line and condemn the protesters.

On Friday, Cathay Pacific announced the shock resignation of CEO Rupert Hogg after the carrier was excoriated by Beijing because some staff supported the pro-democracy protests.

A day later the "Big Four" accountancy firms scrambled to distance themselves from an advert placed in a newspaper purportedly by employees saying they supported the protests. </s> Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Hong Kong is one of the few places in Chinese territory where an annual remembrance vigil can be held.

Tens of thousands of people have gathered in Hong Kong to mark the 30th anniversary of the crackdown on protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Hong Kong and Macau are the only places in Chinese territory where people can commemorate the activists killed in 1989.

China has never given an official figure for how many people died, but estimates begin in the hundreds.

Organisers say 180,000 people joined a vigil in the city's Victoria Park.

But police put the number of attendees at under 40,000.

In mainland China, the authorities have banned even oblique references to the crackdown, which took place after weeks of mass protests that were tolerated by the government. The numbers gathered in and around Tiananmen Square are estimated to have reached a peak of one million people.

Hundreds of security personnel and police were monitoring the square in Beijing on Tuesday.

Refusing to forget

by Grace Tsoi, BBC World Service, Hong Kong

Image copyright Reuters

Hong Kong's Victoria Park is once again a sea of candlelight as far as the eye can see.

The crowd, many dressed in black, is mostly silent whilst holding up their candles in mourning. Some are crying. In between protest songs, they chant "the people will not forget".

The crowd claps and cheers when Liane Lee - who took part in the 1989 protests - shouts: "We refuse to forget. We refuse to believe the lies".

Standing watching is Teresa Chan. She has attended the commemoration every year since 1990, except once when she was ill.

"I wanted to go Beijing to be with the movement but I couldn't," she says. "I never imagined it would end the way it did, it's very hard to forget."

But there are also new faces in the crowd this year.

Image caption Protestor Teresa Chan has come to the protest in Hong Kong nearly every year

Ms Leung, who is in her 30s, says she decided to come for the first time because she is worried about Hong Kong's future.

"I am very angry with what the Chinese government is doing here," she says.

Amongst the remembrance flowers and candles, there are posters protesting against proposed amendments to laws concerning extraditions to mainland China. Many fear the changes will lead to the further erosion of civil liberties here in Hong Kong.

Here in Victoria Park are also some mainland Chinese residents like Mr Zeng who travelled to Hong Kong with his wife and 11-year-old daughter just to attend tonight's event.

His daughter says it's an eye-opening experience. "I am here to learn the real history about China. Now I feel like China is no better than other countries," she says.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Returning to Tiananmen Square for the first time

The vigils in Hong Kong come at a sensitive time for its leadership, with public backlash over a proposed bill that would allow fugitives captured in the city to be extradited to mainland China.

Smaller vigils are also expected 64km (40 miles) away in Macau's city centre, and on the self-governing island of Taiwan.

Image copyright AFP Image caption The gatherings come at a sensitive time for Hong Kong's leadership

The Tiananmen anniversary earlier prompted a war of words between Washington and Beijing. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticised China's human rights record and called on it to finally reveal how many people died in the crackdown.

In response, a Chinese embassy spokesman in Washington DC said his comments were "an affront to the Chinese people".

On Tuesday, China issued separate travel warnings to its citizens travelling to the US, citing police harassment and crime.

Its foreign ministry accused American law enforcement agencies of "harassing" Chinese citizens in the US through immigration checks and other methods.

What happened in 1989?

Pro-democracy protesters occupied Tiananmen Square in April 1989 and began the largest political demonstrations in communist China's history. They lasted six weeks.

On the night of 3 June tanks moved in and troops opened fire, killing and injuring many unarmed people in and around Tiananmen Square.

Afterwards the authorities claimed no-one had been shot dead in the square itself. Estimates of those killed in the crackdown range from a few hundred to several thousand.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Wang Dan one of the leaders of the Tiananmen Square protests

At the weekend, Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe made a rare mention of the protests during a regional forum in Singapore.

"That incident was a political turbulence and the central government took measures to stop the turbulence, which is a correct policy," he said in response to a question.

He added that because of the action the government took, "China has enjoyed stability and development". </s> HONG KONG (TNS) — Hong Kongers defied police restrictions and pouring rain to march across the city on Sunday, spilling out of a large public park and filling major streets in the latest edition of a summer of pro-democracy demonstrations.

Protesters began the afternoon by rallying at Victoria Park, the starting point for the two peaceful marches in June that brought unprecedented numbers to the streets to oppose an extradition bill to China.

But the park could not contain their numbers on Sunday, and throngs of umbrella-toting demonstrators quickly spread through major roads, walking in different directions. Organizers said more than 1.7 million people participated, although that figure could not be independently confirmed.

Police had approved the rally within the park but denied permission for a march, prompting the organizers, the Civil Human Rights Front, to appeal the decision because demonstrators were likely to march anyway. By late afternoon, there was no visible police presence even as the Hong Kong Police Force tweeted that two major thoroughfares had been “occupied” by demonstrators.

Sunday’s rally was billed as a return to nonviolent demonstrations, one week after thousands of protesters occupied the Hong Kong airport and caused all departing flights to be canceled. Protesters that day clashed with police, blocked passengers from boarding flights, and attacked two suspected spies from mainland China, including one reporter for the Chinese state outlet Global Times.

Two hours before the rally’s 3 p.m. start time, thousands of protesters were already filling nearby subway stations and streaming into the park, clad in black clothing and opening umbrellas in a light rain that would soon grow heavier.

Protesters who have turned out this summer to oppose the extradition bill — which they see as a threat to Hong Kong’s rule of law and a sign of Beijing’s growing control over the territory — have classified themselves into two groups: “the valiant,” who go to the front lines and clash directly with police, and “the peaceful, rational, nonviolent,” who support tactics such as rallies and marches.

In response to the largest popular uprising in Hong Kong, police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets regularly at protesters, some of whom throw bricks and gasoline bombs in return.

On Sunday, protesters said it was time for the valiant to compromise and support the peaceful, just as the peaceful have often stood behind protesters clashing with police on the front lines.

One protester dressed in the “valiant” costume — all black, with elbow pads, goggles and a mask — held up a handwritten sign in the middle of the park: “Peaceful, rational, nonviolent … thank you for being my backup, never leaving me behind, supporting me even when you disagreed with my tactics! August 18th. No more division.”

Rally speakers said the purpose of this march was to return to the “peaceful, rational, and nonviolent means” of protest that had marked the movement’s beginning. </s> Beijing: Over a million people marched through Hong Kong city streets on Sunday evening in a massive protest against a bill that would allow people to be extradited to mainland China.

Violence erupted after midnight, as thousands of students attempted a sit-in outside Hong Kong’s legislative council after the march, but were dispersed by police in riot gear using pepper spray and batons.

The organiser's estimate of 1.03 million people marching the three kilometres from Victoria Park would make it the biggest protest since the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

At handover, China and Britain had agreed Hong Kong would operate under "One Country, Two Systems", allowing Hong Kong's limited government control over immigration, borders and a separate legal system. </s> Hong Kong streets were turned into rivers of umbrellas on Sunday as hundreds of thousands of people marched through heavy rain down a major road in the Chinese territory, where massive pro-democracy demonstrations have become a regular weekend activity. Organizers said at least 1.7 million participated, though the police estimate was far lower.

The assembly was peaceful, with no reports of violence, making for a rare calm weekend in a protest movement that has been marked by violent clashes with police. Law enforcement officers kept a low profile, with no riot police seen from the procession's main routes. When stragglers convened outside a government complex in the late evening, other protesters urged them to go home.

"We hope that there will not be any chaotic situations today," organizer Bonnie Leung said early in the day. "We hope we can show the world that Hong Kong people can be totally peaceful."

Leung's group, the Civil Human Rights Front, had organized three previous massive marches in Hong Kong since June. The movement, however, has been increasingly marked by clashes with police as demonstrators vent their frustrations over what they perceive to be the government's blatant refusal to respond to their demands.

"Peace is the No. 1 priority today," said Kiki Ma, a 28-year-old accountant who participated in the march. "We want to show that we aren't like the government."

While police granted approval for the rally, they didn't approve an accompanying march. Demonstrators nevertheless fanned out and filled the streets, as there was not enough space at the designated assembly area.

Public transit trains did not stop at stations near the assembly because of overcrowding.

Jimmy Shan of the Civil Human Rights Front said the group estimated that at least 1.7 million took part in the rally. He said the figure did not include those who were not able to make it to Victoria Park — where the march began — due to traffic constraints.

Police, whose crowd figures are generally lower than the organizers' estimates, said the turnout at the assigned location and during the designated time period was 128,000. Many protesters, however, did not follow the pre-approved guidelines laid out by the authorities.

In Beijing, You Wenze, a spokesman for China's ceremonial legislature, condemned statements from U.S. lawmakers supportive of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.

You called the lawmakers' comments "a gross violation of the spirit of the rule of law, a blatant double standard and a gross interference in China's internal affairs."

He said that Hong Kong's 7.5 million people and the Chinese population as a whole rejected the actions of a "very small group of violent protesters" as well as "any interference of foreign forces."

You did not mention any specific lawmaker, but numerous U.S. senators and Congress members, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have affirmed the U.S. commitment to human rights and urged Hong Kong's government to end the standoff.

Congress also has the power to pass legislation affecting Hong Kong's relationship with the U.S. in ways that could further erode the territory's reputation for stability and rule of law. That includes the recent reintroduction of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in Congress, which would among its other provisions require the secretary of state to issue an annual certification of Hong Kong's autonomy to justify special treatment afforded to the city.

More directly, President Donald Trump could simply issue an executive order suspending Hong Kong's special trading status with the U.S., a move that could have a devastating effect on the local economy at a time when Beijing and Washington are engaged in a bitter trade war.

A former British colony, Hong Kong was returned to Beijing in 1997 under the framework of "one country, two systems," which promised residents certain democratic rights not afforded to people in mainland China. But some Hong Kongers have accused the Communist Party-ruled central government of eroding their freedoms in recent years.

The protest movement's demands include the resignation of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, democratic elections and an independent investigation into police use of force.

Harley Ho, a 20-year-old social work student who attended Sunday's rally, said protesters were undeterred by the rain and would not rest until their demands were met.

"We will stand here, we will take action until they respond to us," she said. "In the rain, our spirit becomes stronger."

Members of China's paramilitary People's Armed Police force have been training for days across the border in Shenzhen, including on Sunday morning, fueling speculation that they could be sent in to suppress the protests. The Hong Kong police, however, have said they are capable of handling the demonstrations.

Associated Press journalists Ken Moritsugu, Yves Dam Van and Phoebe Lai in Hong Kong, Dake Kang in Shenzhen, China, and Christopher Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this report. </s> Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement pressed forward Sunday as protesters rallied at Victoria Park, the starting point for the two peaceful marches in June that brought unprecedented numbers to the streets to oppose an extradition bill to China.

Sunday’s rally was billed as a return to nonviolent demonstrations, one week after thousands of protesters occupied the Hong Kong airport and caused all departing flights to be canceled. Protesters that day clashed with police, blocked passengers from boarding flights, and attacked two suspected spies from mainland China, including one reporter for the Chinese state outlet Global Times .

This time, police denied permission for a march, only approving a rally within the park. The Civil Human Rights Front, which organized the rally, appealed the police decision, saying it was dangerous because people were likely to march regardless.

Two hours before the rally’s starting time, thousands of protesters were already filling nearby subway stations and streaming into the park, clad in black clothing and opening umbrellas in a light rain.

Protesters who have turned out this summer to oppose the extradition bill — which they see as a threat to Hong Kong’s rule of law and a sign of Beijing’s growing control over the territory — have classified themselves into two groups: “the valiant,” who go to the front lines and clash directly with police, and “the peaceful, rational, nonviolent,” who support tactics such as rallies and marches.

In response to the largest popular uprising in Hong Kong in years, police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets regularly at protesters, some of whom throw bricks and gasoline bombs in return.

A protester named Ray, 26, said he was “valiant” but still supported this kind of protest.

“We never thought these rallies were useless. We think it’s the most powerful way to express ourselves, because we can get millions of people and get our voice out globally,” said Ray, who like several protesters declined to give his full name to shield himself from official retribution.

He hoped there would be no tear gas Sunday , but added that wish was “not practical.”

Amy, 26, said she believed in peaceful protest but called the police’s refusal to approve the march “a form of suppression.”

Although the government has already suspended the bill, protesters’ demands have expanded to include democratic reforms and greater accountability for the government and police, who protesters accuse of overuse of force and collusion with organized gangs called triads.

More than 700 protesters have been arrested, dozens of them charged with rioting, an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

After the unrest at the airport, smaller rallies Friday and Saturday were peaceful, ending a week of reflection and online discussion in which many protesters urged a return to less-aggressive tactics.

Beijing officials have said without evidence that the CIA is orchestrating Hong Kong’s protests. Officials have also said the protests show signs of terrorism and threaten China’s national sovereignty, which they have described as a “bottom line .”

In recent days, in an apparent show of force by Beijing, hundreds of armed paramilitary vehicles have been seen in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong. The People’s Liberation Army also maintains a garrison inside Hong Kong, though Hong Kong’s law forbids the military from intervention unless requested by the Hong Kong government. </s> HONG KONG (AP) — The Latest on protests in Hong Kong (all times local):

Hong Kong police say six men were hurt by an eruption of fireworks early Wednesday near a police station where protesters clashed with officers after rioting charges were brought against other demonstrators.

Video footage on social media appears to show a car driving along the Tin Shui Wai Police Station as flashes of fireworks set off where protesters were gathered.

Police said it was not an action taken by officials and that officers are investigating the incident that was reported about 2:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Five men were taken to a nearby hospital for their injuries, and the sixth man declined medical treatment at the scene.

Several hundred protesters had mobilized in the streets Tuesday night after Hong Kong police said that 44 people had been arrested on riot charges stemming from a demonstration Sunday night.

Protesters have clashed with police again in Hong Kong after reports that some of their detained colleagues would be charged with the relatively serious charge of rioting.

Several hundred protesters mobilized in the streets outside a police station Tuesday night after Hong Kong media said that 44 people had been arrested on riot charges stemming from a Sunday night demonstration.

They and one other charged with possession of offensive weapons were to appear in court on Wednesday, according to public broadcaster RTHK.

Live video streamed by Hong Kong media showed protesters chanting slogans and throwing eggs at the Kwai Chung police station. Police used pepper spray to try to disperse them.

Protesters in Hong Kong have disrupted subway service during the morning commute by blocking the doors on trains, preventing them from leaving the stations.

Service was partially suspended on one line and delayed on another line Tuesday. Angry commuters argued with protesters in a stopped train and on the platform at Tiu Keng Leng station.

The disruption is part of a pro-democracy movement that has seen hundreds of thousands take to the streets this summer for marches and rallies. The protests have shaken the government in Hong Kong and raised concern in Beijing. The city is part of China but has a fair degree of autonomy in local affairs.

Posts on Twitter showed long lines of commuters waiting for shuttle buses provided by the subway operator.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. </s> The Latest: Hong Kong protesters won't give up their demands

HONG KONG (AP) — The Latest on the protests in Hong Kong (all times local):

Heavy rain is falling on tens of thousands of umbrella-ready protesters as they start marching from a packed park in central Hong Kong where mass pro-democracy demonstrations have become a regular weekend activity.

Protesters Sunday said they were determined to show the government that they won't be giving up on their five demands, which include the formal withdrawal of an extradition bill and an independent inquiry into police use of force.

Student Harley Ho says: "We will stand here, we will take action, until they respond to us. ... Together we have more power."

The 20-year-old says the inclement weather will not deter them.

While violent clashes with police have characterized rallies in recent weeks, organizers hope Sunday's assembly will show that "Hong Kong people can be totally peaceful."

People are streaming into a park in central Hong Kong for what organizers hope will be a peaceful demonstration for democracy in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

Organizer Bonnie Leung said Sunday that "today is a day of peace" and that "we hope we can show the world that Hong Kong people can be totally peaceful."

Violent clashes between hard-line protesters and police have broken out frequently this summer in the hours after peaceful marches and rallies.

The movement's demands include the resignation of the city's leader, fully democratic elections and an independent investigation into what they say is police brutality against the protesters.

Leung says the police would be to blame if any chaos erupts.

A spokesman for China's ceremonial legislature has condemned statements from U.S. lawmakers supportive of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.

You Wenze called the comments "a gross violation of the spirit of the rule of law, a blatant double standard and a gross interference in China's internal affairs."

He says Hong Kong's 7.5 million people and Chinese population as a whole reject the actions of a "very small group of violent protesters" as well as "any interference of foreign forces."

You did not mention any specific lawmaker or comments, but numerous U.S. senators and Congress members, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have affirmed the U.S. commitment to human rights and urged the Hong Kong government to end the standoff.

Congress also has the power to pass legislation affecting Hong Kong's trading status.
The organizers claim that at least 1.7 million people join a peaceful rally in Victoria Park, Hong Kong. Protesters spill into nearby streets, with train service intermittently suspended due to the sheer number of people.