Hong Kong riots: What law change do the protesters want, and what it will mean for the city?

Violent protests have broken out across Hong Kong as fierce opposition mounts against a proposed bill that would allow extradition to china.

At least 72 people aged between 15 and 66 have been injured during the riots, which began on Sunday as fears grow over China increasing its control in the semi-autonomous territory.

The demonstrations have seen some of the worst violence in Hong Kong since Britain handed it back to the Chinese in 1997.

Here's how and why the violence has unfolded and what the law change will mean for people in Hong Kong:

How have the protests unfolded?

Hong Kong extradition bill protests - In pictures

1/54

On Sunday, a protest against the proposed extradition bill drew what organisers said was more than a million people in the biggest street demonstration since the 1997 handover.

The action escalated over the week as protesters tried to storm government buildings on Wednesday.

Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray in a series of skirmishes to clear demonstrators from the city's legislative district.

As night fell on Wednesday, protesters remained in some streets in the central Hong Kong, behind makeshift barricades, despite efforts by police officers to disperse them.

Protesters face off with police officers outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong
AFP/Getty Images

Overnight several thousand demonstrators remained near the legislature in the Admiralty district, while thousands more retreated to the Central business district, overlooked by the towers of some of Asia's biggest firms and hotel chains, including HSBC and AIA.

On Thursday morning, Hong Kong authorities shut down some government offices in the city's financial district for the rest of the week.

Officials said 21 officers had been hurt in the clashes, while a reported 72 people were injured.

What is in the extradition bill?

The bill, which will cover Hong Kong residents and foreign and Chinese nationals living or travelling through the city, will allow for extradition requests from authorities in mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.

The requests for suspects accused of criminal wrongdoing such as murder and rape would be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Police officers fire a tear gas during demonstrations on Wednesday
Reuters

The move came after a 19-year-old Hong Kong man allegedly murdered his 20-year-old pregnant girlfriend while they were on holiday in Taiwan last year.

He fled to Hong Kong, where he could not be extradited to Taiwan because the two do not have an extradition treaty.

The proposed bill has sparked concerns it may threaten the rule of law that underpins Hong Kong's international financial status.

Hong Kong officials have said courts in the territory will have the final say over granting extradition requests.

The government has said suspects accused of political and religious crimes will not be extradited, and promised to only hand over fugitives for offences carrying a maximum sentence of seven years.

Critics believe the extradition legislation would put Hong Kong residents at risk of being entrapped in China's judicial system, in which opponents of Communist Party rule have been charged with economic crimes or ill-defined national security offences, and would not be guaranteed free trials.

What reaction has there been?

Hong Kong's China-backed Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemned the violence and urged a swift restoration of order.

While acknowledging the controversy, Ms Lam has refused to postpone or withdraw the bill, which she and her officials say is necessary to plug "loopholes" that are allowing the city to be a haven for criminals wanted on the mainland.

Chinese state media said in editorials published on Thursday that the protests were "hammering" Hong Kong's reputation.

"It is lawlessness that will hurt Hong Kong, not the proposed amendments to its fugitive law," said the English-language China Daily.

However, Taiwanese Prime Minister Tsai Ing-wen tweeted that her nation supported the protesters' "demands for freedom".

AP

Many Western nations have also criticised the extradition bill, with the UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt appealing for calm in Hong Kong.

Mr Hunt said large protests on Wednesday and in recent days show "a clear sign of significant public concern" about a contentious extradition bill, which has become a lightning rod for worries about the erosion of civil liberties in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.

Mr Hunt urged the Hong Kong government "to pause and reflect on these controversial measures."

US President Donald Trump said he was sure China and Hong Kong would be able to "work things out", Reuters reported.

More than 100 businesses in Hong Kong said they would shut to allow their staff to protest whilst powerful business lobbies say they fear the plans will damage Hong Kong's competitiveness as a hub for operations.

Taiwanese people gather to support
AP

Hong Kong's relationship with China

Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 until sovereignty was returned to China in 1997.

Under its "one country, two systems" framework, Hong Kong was guaranteed the right to retain its own social, legal and political systems for 50 years following its handover from British rule in 1997.

Therefore residents enjoy far greater freedoms than people on the mainland, such as the freedom to protest or publicly criticise the government.

However, China's ruling Communist Party has been seen as increasingly reneging on that agreement by forcing through unpopular legal changes.

The legislation has become a lightning rod for concerns about Beijing's increasing control over the semi-autonomous territory.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in