HONG KONG: A huge crowd of pro-democracy activists marched to the United States consulate in Hong Kong on Sunday in a bid to ramp up international pressure on Beijing following three months of big and sometimes violent protests.

Millions have taken to Hong Kong’s streets over the last 14 weeks in the biggest challenge to China’s rule since the city’s handover from Britain in 1997.

The protests were triggered by a now scrapped plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, described by opponents as the latest move by China to chip away at the international finance hub’s unique freedoms.

But after Beijing and city leaders took a hard line the movement snowballed into a broader campaign calling for greater democracy, police accountability and an amnesty for those arrested.

Sunday’s protest featured another massive turnout for a movement that has gripped the semi-autonomous territory and plunged it into a political crisis.

Protesters spent hours slowly filing past Washington’s consulate in the tropical heat. Many waved US flags, some sang the Star Spangled Banner, others held signs calling on President Donald Trump to “liberate” Hong Kong.

In chants and speeches they called on the US to pressure Beijing to meet their demands and for Congress to pass a recently proposed bill that expresses support for the protest.

“More than 1,000 protesters have been arrested. We can’t do anything but come out onto the streets, I feel hopeless,” 30-year-old protester Jenny Chan, said.

“I think aside from foreign countries, no one can really help us,” she added.

In what has become a now familiar pattern, the main daytime rally passed off peacefully. But as evening set in, riot police were chasing groups of hardcore protesters who blocked roads, vandalised nearby subway stations and set makeshift barricades on fire.

Hong Kong is a major international business hub thanks to freedoms unheard of on the mainland under a 50-year deal signed between China and Britain. But Bei­jing baulks at any criticism from foreign governments over its handling of the city, which it says is an internal issue.

Authorities and state media have portrayed the protests as a separatist movement backed by foreign “black hands”, primarily aiming their ire at the US and Britain.

While some American politicians on both sides of the aisle have expressed support for the democratic goals of the protesters, the Trump administration has maintained a more hands-off approach as it locks horns with China over trade.

Trump has called for a peaceful resolution to the political crisis and urged China against escalating with a violent crackdown. But he has also said it is up to Beijing to handle the protests. Washington has rejec­ted China’s allegations that it is backing the demonstrators and Beijing has shown little evidence to back its claims.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2019