HONG KONG – On Saturday, several anti-government protestors took to the Hong Kong streets to protest the government’s plan to convert some buildings into coronavirus quarantine centres.
The protestors demanded a full closure of the mainland China border.
The protests began last June over China’s tightening over Hong Kong which has been denied by Beijing. The protests’ intensity has dulled down over the last few weeks owing to the coronavirus outbreak.
There has been growing resentment of late over Carrie Lam’s refusal to shut all of the borders with mainland China. Medical staff have gone on strike to close off all of Hong Kong’s border with where the virus seems to have originated.
On Saturday, in Tai Po, Tin Shui Wai and Aberdeen, people dressed in all-black donning surgical masks and chanting “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our times” and “Oppose pneumonia clinic” flooded the streets.
A few of the buildings in the above neighbourhoods have been identified as potential sites of quarantine.
“The government didn’t listen to public demands of a complete border closure, and now they want to set up epidemic clinics in 18 districts. Doing that is like creating more wounds rather than trying to stop the bleeding.”
-Chan Mei-lin, Tin Shui Wai resident
The TV footage showed police arresting several people and using pepper spray in riot gear in Tin Shui Wai.
Most border points with China have been shut and quarantine of 14 days is compulsory for anyone entering the city from mainland China.
Lam called the full closure of Hong Kong’s border with China “inappropriate”, “impractical” and “discriminatory”.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.