8 July

A large-scale rally against a controversial extradition bill was held in a shopping district in Hong Kong's Kowloon Peninsula on Sunday.

The rally took place near West Kowloon train station, which links Hong Kong to the mainland with a high-speed train service. The organizers say 230,000 people took part in response to their calls via social media. Previous rallies had been held in Hong Kong Island, where the buildings of the territory's government and assembly are located.

At Sunday's rally, protesters demanded the total withdrawal of the bill that would allow the transfer of criminal suspects to the mainland. The rally ended without any major trouble.

But later in the day, thousands of youths moved to Nathan Road, the Kowloon district's busiest shopping area popular with tourists, and continued their protests.

Toward midnight, after several hours of a stand-off with police, youths clashed with officers who tried to forcibly disperse them with clubs. Local media say police detained several protesters. In a statement issued in the early hours of Monday, the Hong Kong government says Sunday's earlier rally in Kowloon was held peacefully and rationally.

NHK