Thousands Begin Dispersing After Rainy Rally: Hong Kong Update
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Tens of thousands of Hong Kong protesters defied a torrential downpour and gathered in centrally located Victoria Park for the weekend’s major rally, after two nights of demonstrations ended peacefully and without police firing tear gas.
Sunday’s rally was organized by the Civil Human Rights Front, which said more than 1.7 million people turned out. That would make it one of the biggest demonstrations yet. The police, which confined demonstrators to the park, estimated a crowd of 128,000 at the peak of the event. The protests began on June 9 over a bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China but have morphed into broader criticism of Chinese rule over the financial hub.