Thousands of students in Hong Kong have boycotted the first day of the new term in a fresh wave of protests, after a tense weekend of violent clashesbetween police and demonstrators.
On Monday, university and secondary students marked the end of their summer break by skipping classes and holding rallies to call on the government to withdraw a controversial extradition bill, among other demands.
Thousands of students wearing helmets, goggles and masks – the unofficial uniform of the protests – filled the grounds of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), holding black banners saying, “Boycott for freedom” and periodically shouting, “Reclaim Hong Kong”. “If you are not a slave, don’t act like one,” said one speaker, a woman introduced only by her surname Chiu, from an alumni group, who urged students to continue to fight for their freedoms. A stage behind her featured part of a saying by Mao Zedong: “A single spark can start a prairie fire.”
On Monday, university and secondary students marked the end of their summer break by skipping classes and holding rallies to call on the government to withdraw a controversial extradition bill, among other demands.
Thousands of students wearing helmets, goggles and masks – the unofficial uniform of the protests – filled the grounds of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), holding black banners saying, “Boycott for freedom” and periodically shouting, “Reclaim Hong Kong”. “If you are not a slave, don’t act like one,” said one speaker, a woman introduced only by her surname Chiu, from an alumni group, who urged students to continue to fight for their freedoms. A stage behind her featured part of a saying by Mao Zedong: “A single spark can start a prairie fire.”
