Estimated One Million Hong Kongers Protest Proposed Extradition Bill

A protester holding flowers sings as he gathers with others outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. Opponents of legislation in Hong Kong that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China gathered outside the Legislative Council on Tuesday night ahead of a day of expected demonstrations and labor strikes.
A protester holding flowers sings as he gathers with others outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. Opponents of legislation in Hong Kong that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China gathered outside the Legislative Council on Tuesday night ahead of a day of expected demonstrations and labor strikes. Vincent Yu / AP Photo
A protester holding flowers sings as he gathers with others outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. Opponents of legislation in Hong Kong that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China gathered outside the Legislative Council on Tuesday night ahead of a day of expected demonstrations and labor strikes.
A protester holding flowers sings as he gathers with others outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. Opponents of legislation in Hong Kong that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China gathered outside the Legislative Council on Tuesday night ahead of a day of expected demonstrations and labor strikes. Vincent Yu / AP Photo

Estimated One Million Hong Kongers Protest Proposed Extradition Bill

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

An estimated one million people took to the streets in Hong Kong on Sunday to protest a bill working its way through the Legislative Committee that would enable Hong Kong to extradite its citizens to territories that Hong Kong doesn’t have existing extradition agreements with.

Lawmakers drafted the bill after a Hong Konger accused of murdering his girlfriend in Taiwan couldn’t be formally extradited to face charges there, as a result of Hong Kong lacking an extradition agreement with Taiwan. Supporters of the bill, such as Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam, have argued that the bill would strengthen the rule of law by allowing extraditions such as these to take place. Critics, however, argue that the bill would make it easier for mainland China to curtail civil liberties and police dissent in Hong Kong by ordering the extradition of Hong Kong-based critics. Editor-in-chief of the Hong Kong Free Press Tom Grundy joined us earlier this morning to talk about the implications of the proposed law for Hong Kong.