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Protesters in Hong Kong ran riot in the territory’s legislature on Monday, smashing walls and occupying the chamber amid widespread anger over a proposed law that would allow suspected criminals to be extradited to mainland China.
Police have warned protesters to clear the building immediately, saying they will deploy “appropriate force” if they remain inside.
Protesters have reinforced the barricades outside the building in response, though it remains uncertain whether those inside will abandon the building or defend it.
Earlier, riot police apparently retreated as hundreds of demonstrators streamed into the building after a small group of mostly students wearing hard hats and masks used a metal trolley, poles and scaffolding to repeatedly charge at the compound’s reinforced glass doors, which finally gave way.
Once inside, protesters ripped portraits of chief executives from walls and sprayed graffiti calling for the release of arrested protesters. An old colonial-era flag was draped over the speaker’s chair and a plaque showing a white flower, the symbol of Hong Kong, was blacked-out with spray paint.
The flag was replaced by a black sign which read: “There is no way left”. On the reserve, the message read “There’s no rioters, there’s only tyranny”.
The extraordinary scenes came on the anniversary of the semi-autonomous territory’s return from British control to mainland China 22 years ago.
A protester in his early 20s, who gave his name as M, told Al Jazeera many planned to remain in the building overnight and the storming of the legislature was “inevitable” as authorities had ignored peaceful protests.
While those inside waited for a decision on an overnight occupation of the chambers and the building, supplies were being brought in from outside including food, water and medical supplies such as saline for flushing pepper spray out of eyes.
Before protesters entered the building, riot police were stationed inside. Their apparent disappearance has been a cause of confusion and concern for protesters.
Two of the demonstrators ferrying supplies in, 34-year-old marketer Amon and Lam Lam, a 20-year-old teacher, said they had heard rumours that the police would attempt to retake the complex but they were certain that there were none still in the building.
“They retreated to the chief executive’s office through the car park,” Amon said, adding that he was prepared to stay overnight.
Protest leaders told Al Jazeera about 550,000 people were taking part in the annual July 1 march throughout the city, dwarfing previous rallies
The council issued a red alert, ordering the protesters to leave the building immediately. No legislators were in the building when protesters entered.
Andrew K P Leung, an independent political analyst, said police so far had shown “uncharacteristic restraint” after being criticised for using excessive force at previous protests.
“They were extremely patient by allowing the kind of violence and riotous acts to play out to the fullest extent for all to see, I think police will now have to exercise force to maintain law and order,” Leung told Al Jazeera.
Derek, a 24-year-old protester said he would also stay overnight but was waiting to see what the consensus was. He told Al Jazeera he was “of course” worried that police would try to retake the building and arrest those inside.
“I’m also worried about China,” he said. “They could punish us for this”.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam suspended the controversial extradition bill on June 18 after some of the largest and most violent protests in the city in decades – with millions attending – but stopped short of protesters’ demands to scrap it entirely.
The Beijing-backed leader is now clinging to her job at a time of unprecedented backlash against the government that poses the greatest popular challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.
Hong Kong returned to China under a “one country, two systems” formula that allows freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China, including freedom to protest and an independent judiciary.
Opponents of the extradition bill, which would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party, fear it is a threat to Hong Kong’s much-cherished rule of law and are demanding it be scrapped and Lam step down.
Al Jazeera’s Andrew Thomas, reporting from Hong Kong, said the protests are now pushing back, not only against the extradition bill, but against any infringement on Hong Kong’s freedoms.
“They [protesters] want to show that it’s not legislators that will decide Hong Kong’s future, it’s the people here and they really want to make that loud and clear, they want to send that message”.
“They want more democracy for Hong Kong and they want to make it clear that anything that ebbs away at that, they’re going to protest it”.
