Over a million people took to the streets in Hong Kong on Wednesday as anti-government protests continued into the new year, organizers of the demonstration said in a statement
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st January, 2020) Over a million people took to the streets in Hong Kong on Wednesday as anti-government protests continued into the new year, organizers of the demonstration said in a statement."As of 6:15 p.m. [10:15 GMT], we are convinced that the number of those who took part in today's march had topped the attendance of the June 9 rally, when over 1.3 million showed up," it read.
Hong Kong police estimated that 47,000 marched through the autonomous Chinese city as of late afternoon, with 15,000 others thronging Victoria Park.
The New Year's Day march was called by the Civil Human Rights Front. The rally was authorized by the city administration but descended into chaos when hardcore protesters started trashing public places.
Police moved in to disperse vandals and fired tear gas. The demonstration, which demanded police accountability for previous crackdowns on protesters, was forced to end prematurely, the organizers said.
Meanwhile, Beijing views the situation in Hong Kong as a result of foreign interference in China's domestic affairs and expresses full support for the actions of the local authorities.
