Sachin Walls
The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests were a series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. The protests began with a sit-in at the government headquarters on 15 March 2019 and a demonstration attended by hundreds of thousands on 9 June 2019. As the protests progressed, activists laid out five key demands, including the resignation of the city's leader, Carrie Lam, an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested, and a permanent withdrawal of the bill. Protesters targeted Hong Kong International Airport, occupying the terminal building and bringing flights to a halt for two days straight. This caused unprecedented disruption and resulted in an estimated loss of US$76 million.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 12-14 August 2019 |
| Location | Hong Kong International Airport |
| Type | Sit-in |
| Cause | Police brutality, controversial extradition law |
| Number of Protesters | Thousands |
| Affected Areas | Check-in operations, departure areas, roads, public transport links |
| Impact | Cancellation of numerous flights, US$76 million loss, stranded passengers |
| Response | Police condemnation, UN High Commissioner's call for investigation, Beijing's warnings |
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What You'll Learn
To draw global attention to the extradition bill
The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests were a series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. The bill would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where the Communist Party controls the courts. Beijing's influence over Hong Kong has grown in recent years, with activists being jailed and pro-democracy lawmakers disqualified from running or holding office.
Protesters targeted Hong Kong Airport to draw global attention to their fight for democracy for the Chinese-ruled city. The airport protests caused unprecedented disruption, with thousands of anti-government protesters occupying the airport terminal building and bringing flights to a halt for two days straight. This severely impacted travellers, who were forced to abandon their cars and drag their luggage towards the airport. The MTR subway station in Tung Chung was closed, and demonstrators smashed CCTV cameras and lamps with metal poles.
The protests also impacted tourism, with the number of visitors travelling to Hong Kong in August 2019 declining by 40% compared to the previous year. Flight bookings declined, with airlines cutting or reducing services. The airport protests on 12 and 13 August 2019 resulted in an estimated loss of US$76 million, according to aviation experts.
The protests at the airport were part of a broader political movement demanding democracy for the former British colony under Chinese control. Protesters have called for the resignation of the city's leader, Carrie Lam, an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested, and a permanent withdrawal of the bill. Lam has refused to make any concessions to the protesters, appealing for calm while refusing to meet their demands.
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To demand an independent inquiry into police tactics
The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests were a series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. The bill would have allowed people in the city to be sent to mainland China for trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party. The protests began with a sit-in at the government headquarters in March 2019 and a demonstration attended by hundreds of thousands in June 2019.
As the protests progressed, activists laid out five key demands, including the resignation of the city's leader, Carrie Lam, an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested, and a permanent withdrawal of the bill. The protests at the airport aimed to draw world attention to their fight for democracy for the Chinese-ruled city. Protesters blocked roads and public transport links to Hong Kong airport, causing delays and cancellations of flights.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, supported by Amnesty International, demanded the Hong Kong government conduct an investigation into police use of force against the protesters. This included the wanton use of tear gas, arbitrary arrests, physical assaults, and abuses in detention. The commissioner urged Hong Kong’s authorities to exercise restraint and investigate evidence of their forces firing tear gas at protesters in ways banned under international law.
The Hong Kong government initially rejected calls for an independent inquiry, stating that it should be left to the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) to investigate. However, in October 2019, the government stated that it would consider setting up a commission of inquiry if the public was dissatisfied with the IPCC's report. The IPCC report was due by the end of 2019.
In January 2020, Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam rejected the suggestion of allowing a full independent inquiry into the police's handling of the protests, stating that there were well-established methods in place to scrutinize officers. Lam also highlighted the sacrifices made by the police force, claiming that more than 500 officers had suffered injuries while working 16-hour days to keep Hong Kong safe.
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To protest against Beijing's influence over Hong Kong
The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests were a series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. The bill would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where the Communist Party controls the courts. Beijing's influence over Hong Kong has grown in recent years, with the imposition of a national security law in 2020, the jailing of activists, and the disqualification of pro-democracy lawmakers from running or holding office.
Independent booksellers have disappeared from the city, only to reappear in mainland China facing charges. The national security law, imposed by Beijing, has been criticised for stifling free speech and press freedoms, and for creating a culture of informing. The law criminalises activities considered to be calls for "secession" or "undermining the power or authority" of the government.
Pro-democracy protesters targeted Hong Kong airport in a bid to draw world attention to their fight for democracy. One 20-year-old protester said: "If we disrupt the airport, more foreigners will read the news about Hong Kong." Protesters blocked roads and public transport links to the airport, causing delays and cancellations to flights.
The protests were met with violent clashes with police, who repeatedly fired tear gas and rubber bullets. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Hong Kong's authorities to exercise restraint and investigate evidence of their forces firing tear gas at protesters in ways banned under international law.
The protests caused a significant impact on tourism and employment in Hong Kong, with visitor numbers declining by 40% in August 2019 compared to the previous year.
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To condemn the use of violence by the police
The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests were a series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. The protests began in March 2019 and continued for over a year.
The protests were triggered by a controversial bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where the Communist Party controls the courts. As the protests progressed, activists laid out five key demands:
- The resignation of the city’s leader, Carrie Lam
- An independent inquiry into police tactics
- An amnesty for those arrested
- A permanent withdrawal of the bill
- An investigation into the police’s alleged excessive use of force since the protests started
The Hong Kong protests saw a series of demonstrations at Hong Kong International Airport, which caused significant disruption to travellers and the aviation industry. Protesters targeted the airport to draw international attention to their cause.
One of the primary motivations for the protests was to condemn the use of violence by the police. Protesters accused the police of using excessive force, including the wanton use of tear gas, arbitrary arrests, physical assaults, and abuses in detention. There were also reports of police firing crowd control weapons towards protesters at point-blank range in enclosed spaces, chasing people down escalators with batons, and beating people inside subway stations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, demanded the Hong Kong government conduct an investigation into the police use of force against protesters. Amnesty International praised the protesters for their dedication despite facing abusive policing tactics.
The Hong Kong government denied allegations of police brutality and refused to concede to the protesters' demands. The government criticised the protesters for using violence and claimed that the rule of law in Hong Kong was undermined during the protests. However, protesters and their sympathisers felt that a lack of police oversight, selective law enforcement, and selective prosecution all harmed the rule of law.
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To call for greater democracy and universal suffrage
The 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests were a series of demonstrations against the Hong Kong government's introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition. The protests began in March 2019 and continued for over a year, with the goal of achieving greater democracy and universal suffrage in the city.
The protests were triggered by a controversial bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where the Communist Party controls the courts. This was seen as a threat to the autonomy of Hong Kong and a sign of increasing influence from Beijing. The protests demanded the permanent withdrawal of the extradition bill, as well as other concessions from the government, including the resignation of the city's leader, Carrie Lam, an independent inquiry into police tactics, amnesty for those arrested, and universal suffrage.
The protests at the Hong Kong International Airport in August 2019 were a part of this broader movement. Thousands of protesters occupied the airport terminal building, bringing flights to a halt for two days straight. The protesters chose the airport as it is one of the world's busiest travel hubs, and they wanted to draw international attention to their cause. The protests were mostly peaceful, with protesters speaking to travellers and explaining their motives. However, there were also reports of violence and clashes with police, with the use of tear gas and rubber bullets.
The protests had a significant impact on tourism and the economy in Hong Kong, with a decline in visitor numbers, flight bookings, and international trade fairs. The protests also affected employment, with unemployment rates rising, particularly in the tourist and catering sectors.
The Hong Kong protests were met with a strong response from the government and police, with accusations of police brutality and excessive use of force. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Amnesty International expressed concern over the handling of the protests and called for investigations into the use of force by authorities. Despite the opposition, the protesters remained determined to fight for their demands and continued to organise demonstrations and strikes.
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Frequently asked questions
Hong Kong International Airport is one of the world's busiest and most efficient airports. Protesters hoped that targeting the airport would draw more international attention to their cause.
Protesters' core demands included the resignation of the city's leader Carrie Lam, an independent inquiry into police tactics, an amnesty for those arrested, and a permanent withdrawal of the extradition bill.
The airport protests severely disrupted operations, with flights cancelled and delayed, and passengers stranded. The Airport Authority estimated a loss of US$76 million. The protests also impacted tourism, with a decline in visitors to Hong Kong and an increase in unemployment in the tourism and catering sectors.
The response to the airport protests was mixed. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Hong Kong authorities to exercise restraint and investigate the use of force against protesters. Meanwhile, Beijing denounced the protests and issued warnings, refusing to concede to the protesters' demands.
