Hong Kong protests: muted demonstrations, at least 4 arrested on anniversary of first major clash of 2019
- Police deploy 2,000 officers across city amid calls for residents to rally, cordoning off streets and doing stop-and-searches in popular shopping district
- Rallies were planned in 48 international cities to mark the June 12, 2019, protest outside the Legislative Council – the first major clash that year
Dozens of officers also cordoned off several streets in the Kowloon neighbourhood and conducted stop-and-searches.
Earlier, hundreds of police officers filled the one-time protest hotspot of Causeway Bay, blocking off streets around the Sogo department store, while others were stationed around the entrances of the three major cross-harbour thoroughfares.
At 7pm, a small number of protesters heeded online calls to come out on the street to remember the previous demonstrations against the now-withdrawn extradition bill two years ago, although the crowds were far smaller than what was seen on June 4, when Hongkongers fanned out across the city to mark the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Near the Sogo department store, police officers kept asking those who stayed there to leave, making it impossible to form a gathering.