Members of the Construction Site and General Workers Union in Hong Kong joined Wednesday’s massive strike, pushing for the Government to withdraw its proposed Extradition Bill, which would allow mainland China to exercise the power to extradite those residing in Hong Kong to the mainland for prosecution. Tens of thousands of citizens surrounded Hong Kong’s legislature building, forcing it to postpone a second round of debate on the proposed law.
“Many of our members were in the frontlines of today’s actions, defending the independent political and judicial system that we have built here in Hong Kong,” said CSGWU Chairman Pat Kan Chan. “When British rule came to an end we were promised ‘one country, two systems’; this law chips away at that promise and strengthens the hand of Beijing.”
On Wednesday afternoon , Hong Kong Police responded to the mass action with tear gas, rubber bullets and bean bags to clear citizens from the streets. The strike comes just days after Sunday’s enormous protest against the Bill, in which an incredible 1.03 million people joined the march, the largest protest in Hong Kong since 2003.
Protest leaders have announced another mass rally will occur on Sunday to continue resistance to the proposed law.
