Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Wednesday said that Hong Kong police have detained more than 2,200 people in 400 anti-government protests that have hit the city over the past four months.
"Hong Kong has seen more than 400 demonstrations and marches across the city over the past four months, which increasingly tend to grow into violent protests. This wave has resulted in over 1,100 people injured and more than 2,200 detained," the Hong Kong leader said, reported Sputnik.
Lam was due to deliver her annual policy address at the Legislative Council earlier in the day. However, shouting and jeering pro-democracy lawmakers forced her to abort the speech. Subsequently, she left the chamber and delivered her speech by video from a protected location.
"Hong Kong has always been one of the safest cities in the world, it has been a civilised, free and pluralistic city without prejudice, where laws were observed. And in just a few months, the areas affected by a social conflict that erupted due to opposition to the adoption of amendments to the extradition law have expanded," Lam said in the video address.
She added, "The rioters organised attacks and sabotage; they beat people of different views, spreading chaos and fear in Hong Kong and seriously disrupting people's daily lives. People ask whether Hong Kong will return to normal? Is Hong Kong still a place where one can live peacefully?"
Hong Kong, which returned to China in 1997 and enjoys a special administrative status, has seen a wave of demonstrations that were initially organised in protest against proposed amendments to the city's extradition law.
After the controversial extradition bill, which would have allowed people to be sent to mainland China for trial, was withdrawn, more demonstrations were organised with protesters unleashing additional demands.
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