Thousands back on Hong Kong streets to keep up pressure

Protests focus veers from extradition bill to broader issues increasing tension between HK people and mainland Chinese.

Tens of thousands of people have again rallied in Hong Kong, in their latest effort to grow their protest movement against what they see as mainland China’s growing influence on the semiautonomous territory.

Demonstrators on Sunday marched in Sha Tin, a suburban area near the border that is popular with mainland Chinese shoppers, as the rallies move outwards from the heart of the financial centre into surrounding neighbourhoods.

Al Jazeera’s Jamela Alindogan, reporting from the march, said the large crowd of protesters included families “in droves”.

“[They are] speaking out against what they call creeping authoritarianism, threats to the way of life in Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong has been hit by a wave of popular protests since early June following widespread anger over a controversial piece of legislation that would have allowed extraditions to the mainland. Although the Hong Kong government later suspended the bill, it has refused to officially retract it.

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