Hong Kong protesters seize parliament chamber

July 2, 2019July 2, 2019 Editor 0 Comment Hong Kong protesters seize parliament chamber

Police officers with protective gear prepare to clear protesters from the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, during the early hours of Tuesday, July 2, 2019. Protesters in Hong Kong took over the legislature's main building Friday night, tearing down portraits of legislative leaders and spray painting pro-democracy slogans on the walls of the main chamber.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung

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HONG KONG — Anti-government protesters in Hong Kong seized the parliament’s main debating chamber late Monday, daubing its walls with graffiti and fixing a British colonial-era flag to the main podium, an AFP reporter on the scene said.

Dozens of masked protesters stormed into the chambers after successfully breaching the complex’s reinforced glass windows, shouting slogans and spraying the city’s coat of arms with black paint.

A black and white banner hoisted in the chamber read in Chinese: “Bow to protect rule of law. Oppose extradition.”

READ: Hong Kong erupts in chaos in direct challenge to China

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Protesters storm into the government headquarters in Hong Kong on July 1, 2019, on the 22nd anniversary of the city’s handover from Britain to China. Anthony Wallace/AFP

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The anti-government protesters stormed Hong Kong’s parliament building after successfully smashing their way through reinforced glass windows and prizing open metal shutters. Anthony Wallace/AFP

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The anti-government protesters stormed Hong Kong’s parliament building after successfully smashing their way through reinforced glass windows and prizing open metal shutters. Anthony Wallace/AFP

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The anti-government protesters stormed Hong Kong’s parliament building after successfully smashing their way through reinforced glass windows and prizing open metal shutters. Anthony Wallace/AFP

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Wearing hard hats, the protesters made their statements through loudspeaker. Anthony Wallace/AFP

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A protester defaces the Hong Kong emblem. Vivek Prakash/AFP