VIDEO: Hong Kong dissident joins protest after prison release. Read the story here:
A protester cleans up the main road near the Legislative Council after tens of thousands of protesters staged a massive protest against an extradition bill in Hong Kong, Monday, June 17, 2019. Protesters in Hong Kong have begun leaving the streets and gathering near the city's government headquarters.
The activists have rejected an apology from Chief Executive Carrie Lam for her handling of the legislation. Organizers said nearly 2 million Hong Kong residents, young and old, joined a march that lasted late into the night. The uproar over the extradition bill highlights worries that the former British colony is losing the special autonomous status it was promised when China took control in 1997.
One of the activists arrested after those demonstrations, Joshua Wong, was released from prison on Monday after serving half of a two-month sentence on a contempt charge. He headed to join protesters gathered near Hong Kong’s government headquarters soon afterward, and also called in a tweet for Lam to resign and for a halt to “all political persecutions.”
In a statement issued late Sunday, Lam noted the demonstrations and said the government “understands that these views have been made out of love and care for Hong Kong.” After Lam announced she was suspending the legislation to avoid more violence and allow additional debate, Chinese government officials issued multiple statements backing that decision. Lam made clear she was not withdrawing it.
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