Hong Kong police arrested eight people, including a
prominent political activist, suspected of possessing offensive weapons,
fuelling further anger among the millions of anti-government protesters
who have taken to city streets all summer.
Police raided an industrial building on Thursday and
arrested seven men and a woman, including Andy Chan, the founder of the Hong
Kong National Party, a political group banned by city authorities last
September.
Supporters gathered late at night at a police station in the
neighbourhood of Sha Tin, where the suspects were thought to be held, egging
the building and chanting, “Free the martyrs!”
Officers also raided a flat and seized 30 smoke bombs,
though it remains unclear what the explosives were for and whether the
cases were related. Earlier this week, someone shot fireworks at protesters
gathering outside another police station in a drive-by attack.
Hong Kong is embroiled in its worst political crisis since
the former British colony was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
Protesters first called for the formal withdrawal of an
extradition proposal that would send suspects to face trial in mainland China,
where the ruling Communist Party influences the courts.
Despite a pledge from city leaders to suspend the bill,
demands have grown to include wider political reforms and ire is also being
directed at the police for using increasing force.
Tensions are running high and many in the city are growing
weary, including protesters, public transit workers, police officers, health
workers and first responders.
But the demonstrations show no sign of waning – the
territory is going into its ninth consecutive weekend of mass rallies, which
now often end with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets to break up
the crowds.
The turmoil has led many to become more politically engaged,
reflected in a surge of registered voters this year – nearly 386,000 people
signed up to vote, the most since at least 2003, according to official figures.
More than four million people are registered to vote in the city of about seven
million.
The unrest has also galvanised young people, many of whom
have been on the frontlines. Those aged 17 to 35 registering to vote spiked
more than 12 per cent in 2019.
Hong Kong is gearing up for district council elections in
the fall, the first citywide polls to be held since the city erupted in
protests.
More rallies are planned for this weekend, starting with
civil servants gathering Friday night in the main business district. The
government issued a statementon Thursday reminding civil servants to
remain politically neutral.
“At this difficult moment, government colleagues have to
stay united and work together to uphold the core values of the civil service
and not to affect the effective operation of the government because of personal
beliefs as this may undermine public confidence in the impartial discharge of
duties by civil servants,” authorities said in a statement.
