Radical core of Hong Kong protesters who trashed city’s legislature were ‘prepared to die for their cause’

  • Officials expect group to organise more protests and provoke further clashes in future to draw global attention to its quest
  • If any protesters were injured or killed, police would have been blamed to spark condemnation and bring whole administration down, says source

Protesters smash glass panels of the Legislative Council Complex in Tamar during a protest against the extradition bill on the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China. Photo: Sam Tsang

A squad of radical protesters fancying themselves as martyrs, willing to die to draw global attention to their cause, led the violent siege of Hong Kong’s legislature on Monday, according to sources.

A government source said the group of around 10 diehards with a “bring it on” mentality were prepared to face batons and rubber bullets during clashes with police that day, and they were in the cross hairs of police going after those who perpetrated the unprecedented invasion and trashing of the Legislative Council building.

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