Protesters face tear gas as Hong Kong prepares for a general strike
Police fired tear gas at pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong today as the city prepares for a general strike tomorrow.
Thousands of people had gathered in the city’s Western district to urge the government to listen to their citizens.
However, as they marched towards the Chinese liaison office in the city, police tried to disperse protesters.
The site has been a flashpoint for previous protests in the city.
Police said the people were “participating in an unauthorised assembly,” and fired tear gas into the crowds.
It comes after months of demonstrations sparked by a new bill which would have allowed the government to extradite its citizens to China.
The proposed law was seen as another in a long line of encroachments of Beijing into Hong Kong’s special status.
Protesters fear that mainland China is trying to seize control over its independent judiciary.
The protests morphed into a wider pro-democracy movement after the city’s leader Carrie Lam suspended the vote on the bill.
The city is one of the world’s biggest financial centres, and a general strike tomorrow hopes to bring the hub to a halt.