Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 2 deceMber 2019
Hong Kong pro-democracy rally cut short by police tear gas

By EILEEN NG tions, but Sunday's disrup-
Associated Press tion indicated there may
HONG KONG (AP) — Thou- be more violence if Lam
sands of people took to fails to yield to protesters'
Hong Kong's streets Sun- demands.
day in a new wave of pro- Tensions started Saturday
democracy protests, but night after police used
police fired tear gas after pepper balls against pro-
some demonstrators hurled testers and a man was hit
bricks and smoke bombs, in the head by an unidenti-
breaking a rare pause in fied assailant while clearing
violence that has persisted the street.
during the six-month-long Lam has said she'll accel-
movement. erate dialogue but has
In the largest of three ral- refused to offer any new
lies, a key thoroughfare concessions since the elec-
along the waterfront on the tions. Her government has
Kowloon side of Victoria accepted only one de-
Harbour was packed with mand — withdrawing ex-
demonstrators, from hard- A pro-democracy protester runs away from the tear gas fired by riot police during a rally in Hong tradition legislation that
ened masked protesters Kong, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019. would have sent suspects
in all-black outfits to fami- Associated Press to mainland China for trial.
lies and the elderly. They Elaine Wong, an office
chanted "Five demands, government will say it's just walks reminded the crowd cops" and "Are you trying worker who was at the
not one less" and "Disband a youth issue, but this is a that "Freedom is not free" to kill us?" Some protesters Kowloon march, called
the police force" as they Hong Kong problem that and pledged "Victory at all dug up paving stones and the recent election win "an
marched. affects all of us," Lily Chau, costs." threw them on the street to empty victory."
That rally followed two 30, said as she pushed her The Kowloon march was try to slow the police down. "We have in actual fact
other marches earlier Sun- toddler in a stroller at the cut short after riot police More tear gas was fired not won any concessions
day as protesters sought to march in Kowloon. "If we fired tear gas and arrested at night after dozens of for our demands," she said.
keep the pressure on city are scared, the govern- a few people. A police hardcore protesters set up "We must continue to stand
leader Carrie Lam after the ment will continue to tram- statement said minimum roadblocks and vandal- out to remind the govern-
recent win by the pro-de- ple on our rights." force was deployed after ized some shops and res- ment of our unhappiness."
mocracy camp in district Police estimated that "hundreds of rioters hurled taurants linked to China. The two earlier marches
council elections and the 16,000 people attended smoke bombs" and bricks. Hong Kong's protests have Sunday appealed to Presi-
gaining of U.S. support for the Kowloon rally. Marchers berated police been relatively peace- dent Donald Trump for help
their cause. Slogans spray-painted as they scrambled to flee ful during the two weeks and demanded that po-
"If we don't walk out, the along walls and on side- the tear gas, shouting "Dirty around the Nov. 24 elec- lice stop using tear gas.q

Maldives opposition slams guilty

verdict on former president

sonal gain during his presi-
dency. The two opposition
parties have appealed the
case to the High Court.
Abdul Raheem, Vice Presi-
dent of the People's Na-
tional Congress, called for
the coalition's supporters
to "peacefully oppose"
the government, saying it
was "incapable" and has
"brought heavy financial
In this Feb. 3, 2018, file photo, Maldivian President Yameen
Abdul Gayoom, center, surrounded by his body guards arrives burden on the people"
to address his supporters in Male, Maldives. of the Maldives. Raheem
Associated Press also said that Yameen was
transferred to Maafushi Pris-
MALE, Maldives (AP) — Yameen was given an un- on after demonstrations on
Two opposition parties in just sentence due to his Friday. Yameen's lawyers
the Maldives say the trial in "economic development had expressed concern
which former President Ya- success." Yameen was sen- over the condition of his jail
meen Abdul Gayoom was tenced to five years in pris- cell at Male Prison, where
convicted of money laun- on after being found guilty he was detained earlier.
dering was politically moti- on Thursday. The five-mem- Yameen led the Indian
vated. ber Criminal Court bench Ocean archipelago nation
The opposition coalition also ordered him to pay a from 2013 to 2018. During
of the Progressive Party of $5 million fine. In its ruling, that time, he was accused
Maldives and the People's the court found Yameen of corruption, muzzling the
National Congress said in guilty of laundering $1 mil- media and persecuting
a statement Saturday that lion in state money for per- political opponents. q