Protests in Hong Kong

Hong Kong shop owners strike as part of unprecedented protests

Stuff.co.nz

14 June, 2019

By the entrance of his restaurant, Kelvin Chung hung a piece of paper announcing the restaurant's intention to strike.

"Hoping to find a breath of freedom," the sign said, adding that the shop would offer free honey green tea at lunch time to boost the city's morale.

Students gathered in Meiji University to show their support as Hong Kong braced for another mass rally in a show of strength against the government over a divisive plan to allow extraditions to China.

His modest Japanese-style grill joined other small businesses that closed their doors to show solidarity with thousands of protesters who blocked government buildings in central Hong Kong, forcing the Legislative Council to postpone debate on highly contentious changes to the territory's extradition's laws.

Chung said the legislation is unlikely to have an impact on his restaurant, Delicorner, which offers fried chicken and grilled eel paired with tea.

Hong Kong has delayed a legislative session on an extradition bill after thousands of protesters blocked entry to the government’s building.

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"The kind of democracy that we long for should be fearless," Chung said.

The proposed amendments would allow people in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China to face trial.

Opponents say that would subject people to the mainland's murky judicial system, which has been accused of bringing vague charges against critics of Communist Party rule and holding unfair trials.

Many in Hong Kong worry that the changes would erode the semi-autonomous region's rule of law and legal independence.

Chung said his goal is to become a psychological counselor, and he is worried that the extradition bill would prevent him from speaking freely to his clients.

"Maybe the law originally had a good objective," he said, "but the main worry is that mainland China's legal system is not trustworthy."

Later...