Hong Kong’s legislature stormed but police take little action in what analysts say is attempt to win back public support after outcry over crackdown on extradition bill protesters
- Police sources say the force did not take any clearance action while the annual July 1 march was still going on to avoid affecting peaceful marchers
- Analysts say force took only minimal action as it sought to avoid more conflict with the public
As protesters stormed Hong Kong’s legislative complex on Monday, police took little action in what analysts said was a change of tactics to win public support.
Police sources said the force continued with its restrained approach and did not take any clearance action while the annual July 1 march along major roads on Hong Kong Island was still going on at night to avoid affecting the majority who protested peacefully.
Around 9pm, hundreds of anti-extradition bill protesters finally broke into the legislature after many hours of attacking the public entrance and ransacked the building, including displaying the colonial Hong Kong flag in the chamber.
Despite the escalation on the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, analysts believed the police continued to adopt controlled tactics with only minimal action as they sought to avoid more conflict with the public while letting people differentiate between violent protesters and peaceful ones.
Police finally sprang into action shortly after midnight, with hundreds of officers moving in on the protesters from different directions. There were clashes in the streets near the legislature and police fired tear gas.
