A man has died after unfurling a banner protesting Hong Kong’s extradition bill on the side of a shopping mall, local media reports.
The man, described by Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper as “about 30 years old,” climbed up construction scaffolding on Saturday afternoon at the Pacific Place mall in the Admiralty district—scene of massive protests this week against legislation that would have allowed, for the first time, the extradition of fugitives to mainland China.
Earlier Saturday, Hong Kong’s top official Carrie Lam announced that the hugely divisive legislation would be postponed in the wake of the protests. However, this has not satisfied her opponents, who are calling for the bill’s complete withdrawal and intend to hold a massive march on the Central Government Offices tomorrow.
According to Apple Daily, the man refused to heed the entreaties of police officers and a police negotiator at the scene. He strung up a banner denouncing the legislation and calling for Lam’s ouster. Scrawled on the back of his raincoat were the words “Carrie Lam kills Hong Kong.”
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Onlookers reportedly attempted to comfort the man, shouting “We will march together tomorrow, don’t die,” and “Go back inside, keep holding on.”
The Apple Daily reports that the man suddenly climbed over the scaffolding and fell about 20 meters onto the sidewalk after firefighters failed to hold him. He died after being rushed to hospital.
The Hong Kong government’s bid to fast-track legislation that would allow for suspects to be extradited to mainland China has plunged the semi-autonomous enclave into political crisis. The government says the bill is necessary to ensure that the former British colony does not become a haven for fugitives, but critics fear that Beijing will use the law to come after dissidents and other political opponents, severely curtailing Hong Kong’s freedom of expression.
Opposition to the bill has united broad swathes of Hong Kong society, from teenage students to lawyers and chambers of commerce. A protest march on June 9 brought hundreds of thousands onto the streets.
Huge crowds outside the legislature on June 12 forced the adjournment of a debate on the legislation. Violent clashes with police broke out afterward that left at least 72 people injured, 2 seriously.
—With reporting by Aria Hangyu Chen / Hong Kong
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