This archive report was first published on 1 July 2019.
On July 1, 2019, the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to Beijing, a dramatic scene unfolded as protesters stormed the Legislative Council, breaching security and taking control of the building.
For hours, dozens of police officers in full riot gear held the line, their colleagues occasionally dousing protesters from above with pepper spray. The protesters, however, were determined to push forward, attempting to ram a trolley through the entrance multiple times.
As the standoff continued, the scene played out on television and social media, with Chief Executive Carrie Lam earlier raising a glass of champagne at a ceremony to mark the historic occasion.
Hours later, protesters had taken complete control of the Legislative Council, the partially elected assembly dominated by pro-Beijing lawmakers. The symbol of their defiance was a single anti-government protester spraying black aerosol over the Bauhina flower that marks Hong Kong's flag and distinguishes the semi-autonomous territory from the mainland.
The protests, sparked by opposition to a proposed law that would have allowed extraditions to China, had been ongoing for nearly a month. The action had been met by police using rubber bullets, batons, and tear gas, but the protesters remained undeterred.
"We know that this is breaking the law, but we have no choice," said a protester surnamed Cheung. "We have to show the government that we won't just sit here and do nothing," added another protester, who gave her name as Joey.
Once protesters had breached the glass doors of the Legislative Council, police withdrew further behind lowered aluminum shutters. But the protesters got through those soon after, and swiftly took over the historic chambers.
In raucous scenes, protesters wearing plastic helmets and face masks sat in the assembly seats normally occupied by nominated members representing constituencies including bankers, businessmen, developers, retailers, and lawyers.
"There's no excuse for it," said Philip Dykes, of the Hong Kong Bar Association. "Demonstrations must be peaceful, non-violent -- and if they're carried out in that theme and they are sufficiently massive the government will listen. I fear this is a step that's not necessary."
But protesters have shown little heed to authority in the current climate, and Monday they tore up documents, scattering the pages like confetti around the chamber. Four large black-and-white portraits of Lam and her closest cabinet colleagues and the city's police chief were pinned behind the speaker's podium under the slogan "There are no rioters, only tyranny."
