Page 8 - aruba-today-20191005

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 5 OctOber 2019
Thousands protest mask ban as HK leader toughens stance

By JOHN LEICESTER and EI- an emergency. "If the anti-
LEEN NG mask legislation proves to
Associated Press be ineffective, it could lead
HONG KONG (AP) — De- the way to more draconian
fiant masked protesters measures such as a cur-
rampaged, police fired few and other infringement
tear gas, and a teen was of civil liberties," said Willy
wounded by gunfire hours Lam, adjunct professor at
after Hong Kong's embat- the Chinese University and
tled leader banned masks no relation to Carrie Lam.
at rallies, invoking rarely British Foreign Secretary
used emergency powers Dominic Raab said Lam's
to quell four months of anti- government should avoid
government demonstra- aggravating tensions and
tions. that "political dialogue is
Challenging the ban, the only way" out. Malay-
which went into effect Sat- sian Prime Minister Mahathir
urday, thousands of pro- Mohamad, the world's old-
testers crammed streets in est leader, said Lam should
the central business district resign and predicted Bei-
and other areas Friday jing would send in its mili-
night, shouting "Hong Kong tary to end the crisis.
people, resist!" Two activ- Carrie Lam bristled at a
ists filed legal challenges suggestion that the mask
on grounds the ban would ban nudged Hong Kong
instill fear and curtail free- closer to authoritarian rule.
dom of assembly, but a She insisted she was not
court denied their request acting under orders from
for an injunction. Beijing, which she visited
Pockets of angry protest- this week when Communist
ers attacked Chinese bank Party leaders celebrated 70
outlets and shops, vandal- years in power on Tuesday.
ized subway stations and But Yang Guang, a Chi-
set street fires across the nese spokesman for Hong
city, prompting police to Kong affairs, expressed
respond with tear gas in support late Friday, saying it
many areas. An officer A protester wears a gas mask and holds up his hand to represent the protester's five demands in was time for stern measures
fired a single shot from his Hong Kong Friday, Oct. 4, 2019. to end the conflict.
gun in self-defense after he Associated Press The ban came after wide-
was attacked by protesters behavior." full gas masks and goggles protesters vowed not to be spread violence Tuesday
in the northern Yuen Long "We must save Hong Kong to protect against tear gas. cowed. Many blocked traf- across Hong Kong that
district, said police spokes- — the present Hong Kong Many are concerned their fic, smashed up shops and marred China's National
woman Yolanda Yu. She and the future Hong Kong," identities could be shared public properties, and set Day, when a police officer
said a male was wounded, she said. "We must stop the with the massive state- fires at streets and subway shot a protester at close
but that police didn't know violence. ... We can't just security apparatus that exits before the protests range, escalating the vio-
exactly how he got shot. leave the situation to get helps keep the Communist ended after midnight. lence since protests started
A police official, who re- worse and worse." Party in power in mainland "Will they arrest 100,000 over a now-shelved extra-
quested anonymity be- Lam said she would seek China, where high-tech sur- people on the street?" said dition bill. The wounded
cause he wasn't authorized the legislature's backing for veillance including facial a protester who gave his teenager was charged
to speak to the news me- the ban later. She insisted recognition technology is surname as Lui. "The gov- with attacking police and
dia, said the male is 14. A the semiautonomous Chi- ubiquitous. ernment is trying to intimi- rioting. The government
Hospital Authority spokes- nese territory was not in a Lam's ban applies to all date us, but at this moment, last month withdrew the ex-
man said the teen was in state of emergency but public gatherings, both un- I don't think the people will tradition bill, which would
serious but not critical con- wouldn't rule out a further authorized and those ap- be scared." have allowed suspects to
dition. toughening of measures if proved by police. It makes A protester who identified be sent to mainland Chi-
The teen became the sec- violence continued. She the wearing of any face himself as Ernest Ho noted na for trial, but the move-
ond victim of gunfire since dismissed suggestions that coverings, including face that Hong Kong police ment has snowballed into
pro-democracy protests she should resign, saying paint, punishable by one wear masks "and they don't an anti-China campaign
began in June and just it would be unhelpful at a year in jail. A six-month jail show their pass and their amid anger over what
three days after an 18-year- time when Hong Kong is in term could be imposed on number." many view as Beijing's in-
old protester was shot by a "a very critical state of pub- people who refuse a police "So, I will still keep my mask terference in Hong Kong's
riot police officer at close lic danger." officer's order to remove a on everywhere," Ho said. autonomy. Protesters have
range. Face masks have become face covering for identifi- Analysts said the use of the widened their demands to
Hong Kong Chief Execu- a hallmark of protesters cation. Masks will be per- Emergency Ordinance set include direct elections of
tive Carrie Lam told a news in Hong Kong, even at mitted when wearers can a dangerous precedent. the city's leader and police
conference Friday that the peaceful marches, amid prove they need them for The law, a relic of British rule accountability.
mask ban, imposed under fears of retribution at work work, health or religious enacted in 1922 to quell More than 2,100 people
a colonial-era Emergency or of being denied access reasons. a seamen's strike and last have been detained so
Ordinance that was last to schooling, public hous- Thousands of masked used to crush riots in 1967, far, including 204 charged
used over half a century ing and other government- protesters marched be- gives broad powers to the with rioting, which carries a
ago, would be "an effec- funded services. Some fore Lam spoke. The rallies city's chief executive to penalty of up to a decade
tive deterrent to radical young protesters also wear spread to many areas as implement regulations in in prison.q