A major tunnel in Hong Kong reopened on Wednesday as a weeklong police siege of a nearby university appeared to be winding down, closing one of the more violent chapters in the long-running anti-government protests in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory, AP reports.
The Cross-Harbour Tunnel, which links Hong Kong Island to the rest of the city, had been closed for two weeks after protesters blocked the approach with debris and set the toll booths on fire as they clashed with police.University search teams resumed a sweep of the Hong Kong Polytechnic campus for a second day for any protesters still holding out, although officials said it’s unlikely anyone else remains. On Tuesday, one person was found — a young woman in weak condition.Calls for police to retreat from the campus have escalated after the anti-Beijing camp won a stunning victory in local elections Sunday, delivering a stinging rebuke to city leader Carrie Lam’s tough line on protests now in their sixth month.
Lam offered no concessions, saying only that she would accelerate dialogue and identify ways to address societal grievances.“Carrie Lam is the goddess of democracy. She has single-handedly motivated and galvanized us to fight for democracy,” an activist, who only gave her name as Tham, said mockingly during a Tuesday night rally at the Tsim Sha Tsui district.
Tham, who works in South Korea, said in an online live stream of the rally by the Apple Daily newspaper that she had returned to Hong Kong to cast her ballot.Echoing what many protesters feel, she said the election outcome cannot be viewed as a victory, as the demonstrators’ demands, including free elections for the city’s leader and legislature and a probe into alleged police misconduct, have not been met.“This election doesn’t mean anything because we have not achieved our goals,” she said.A lull in violence that began days before the elections has continued as protesters in the largely leaderless movement weigh their next step amid Lam’s refusal to compromise. Small, peaceful rallies have popped up this week during lunchtime and at night in some areas.
Bütün xəbərlər Facebook səhifəmizdə
.png)
USD
EUR
GBP
RUB