Hong Kong protest marks in the new year head into the end. The previously peaceful rally of tens of thousands during the new year’s eve turned into clashes after several incidents.
Reportedly, the police had arrested 420 people over the New Year holiday in Hong Kong. On Twitter, police stated that they had to make arrests since protesters began to vandalize properties.
“As the night fell, masked rioters recklessly vandalized public facilities in Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, and Central area. They blocked roads with barricades and dug up bricks from the pavements, some even set fire to banks and ATM machines,” the police tweeted.
To disperse the protesters, the force fired tear gas and water cannon. Jimmy Sham, one of the Civil Human Rights Front figures that organized the march, criticized their decision to disperse the crowd at such sudden notice.
The perpetual six-month protest literally changed Hong Kong’s new year celebration this year. In the past, the celebration was full of joy and fireworks, but the recent one showed otherwise. Some places did not even set fireworks anymore.
Also Read: Christmas Eve Unrest during Hong Kong Protests
Targets of Hong Kong Protest during New Year
The targets of the protest widen as the new year begins. Among them, HSBC becomes the latest target of the protest.
Protesters allege the bank, as one of the government’s aides, of preventing activists to raise funds for pro-democracy rallies. However, the bank stated that they have not been doing such involvement.
A pair of iconic bronze lion statues in front of HSBC’s main headquarter, one of the city’s symbols, has become the target of protest vandalism. Besides painting the statues, protesters set one of them ablaze.
A government spokesperson asked the majority of protesters to act peacefully. In his defense, he disclosed that the rally is affecting the country’s economy, in which roughly USD 3.2 billion was allocated in relief aid to those affected by the protests.
Also, during the new year, UK-based advocacy group Hong Kong Watch issued an open letter signed by 40 figures from 18 countries including Canada, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and the United States. They demanded Lam to meet the protest demands for an independent investigation into the police and the right to elect her successor and all legislators.
Also Read: Hong Kong is the Biggest Geopolitical Threat to Markets – Economist
