Hong Kong protests a ‘riot’: Trump

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong were gearing up for more rallies last night as Donald Trump labelled them a ‘riot’.

In a three-minute promotional video of a drill by members of the Hong Kong garrison of People's Liberation Army. Picture: AFP

Pro-democracy protester`s in Hong Kong were gearing up for more rallies starting last night, in defiance of a series of warnings from China and after a prominent independence campaigner was arrested.

US President Donald Trump indicated he would be taking a hands-off approach to the unrest. Adopting Beijing’s rhetoric, he called the movement “riots” and said it was up to China to decide how to handle the crisis.

“That’s between Hong Kong and … China,” he said. “They don’t need advice.”

The city has suffered two months of unrest triggered by opposition to a planned extradition law and then evolved into a movement for democratic reforms.

Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing this week signalled a hardening stance, including with the arrests of dozens of protesters and the Chinese military describing the unrest as “intolerable”.

But more protests have been scheduled, starting last night with members of Hong Kong’s usually tight-lipped civil service who are due to hold a rally despite a government warning that they could be sacked for doing so.

“Any acts to undermine the principle of political neutrality of the civil service are totally unacceptable,” the government said late on Thursday.

Medics also called a rally for last night and there are unsanctioned marches planned for today and tomorrow, as well as a citywide strike on Monday. Previous unsanctioned marches have quickly descended into violence with police.

Deepening tensions, police said eight people were arrested on Thursday night on charges of possessing offensive weapons and explosives following a raid on an industrial building.

A senior police source said independence activist Andy Chan was among those detained and that a “petrol bomb” was found on the premises.

Mr Chan’s small independence party was outlawed last year on the grounds it posed a national security threat, the first such ban since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

AFP