Hong Kong: Protest at Justice Place (Central) June 27 /update 3

Event

Several hundred protesters have gathered at Justice Place in Central as of 12:30 (local time) on Thursday, June 27. The protest began at 10:00 and has been focused on the building entrance near Lower Albert Road and Garden Road. Demonstrators have partially blocked roads around the building, though one lane of traffic is reportedly open. Police officers are on the scene and monitoring the situation, which remains calm. Localized disruptions are likely in the coming hours. 

The protest follows a night of protest events, beginning with a large rally at Edinburgh Place. Thousands of people joined a rally organized by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) from 20:00 to 21:30 on Wednesday, June 26, at Edinburgh Place, calling for full democracy for Hong Kong. Later in the evening, up to 1000 people staged a blockade of the police headquarters in Wan Chai until 04:30 on Thursday when riot police emerged to disperse the protesters.

Further demonstrations are likely in the coming days. The CHRF is also planning to hold a protest march on Monday, July 1, from Victoria Park to the Legislative Council complex in Admiralty. Significant disruptions are likely.

Context

Protests and mass demonstrations of up to 2 million people have been held since June 9 in opposition to a controversial bill that would allow Hong Kong to extradite fugitives wanted in mainland China, along with Macau and Taiwan. Opponents claim the law would erode freedoms guaranteed by China in 1997 and may be used to silence dissent and criticism.

Advice

Individuals in Hong Kong are advised to monitor the situation, adhere to instructions issued by local authorities, refrain from discussing political topics in public or on social media, avoid all public demonstrations due to the risk of violence and arrest, and anticipate localized transportation and business disruptions and a heightened security presence.