Hong Kong Protesters Broaden Cause, Clash With Police in Shopping Center

Hong Kong protesters once again filled the streets for the sixth consecutive week of marches against Beijing’s tightening control over the former colony, this time targeting a neighborhood near the border with Mainland China and a suburban high-end shopping mall. As with the previous protests, the events were largely peaceful with violent scuffles occurring at the tail end of the gatherings. What began as a movement in direct retaliation to an extradition bill that would allow people in Hong Kong to be sent to Mainland China has grown to encompass a number of anti-Beijing complaints and pent-up frustration against the city leaders, which are not elected via universal suffrage but via a system that highly prioritizes big business and Beijing alliances. Although smaller in numbers than previous turnouts–organizers put the turnout on Sunday’s rally at 115,000 people compared to the 1 to 2 million people that came out in previous weekends–the two rallies were positioned to be much more noticeable to Mainland Chinese than even the Tsim Sha Tsui protest last weekend. Saturday’s march targeted Sheung Shui, an area located right at the border crossing to Mainland China into Shenzhen, which has long been beset with tensions over the heavy numbers of parallel

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