Protests in Hong Kong over a botched extradition bill swelled into the biggest demonstrations seen in the territory in decades on Sunday, despite a government climbdown over the proposed law and a rare apology from its leader.
The protesters demanded the resignation of Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, and the full withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill. The legislation would for the first time allow criminal suspects to be extradited from Hong Kong to face trial in mainland China.
The outpouring of public anger, which started eight days earlier when hundreds of thousands took to the streets, forced Ms Lam on Saturday to announce she would suspend the bill, representing a huge retreat for a government that for months has insisted that nothing would stop the passage of the legislation.