This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong International Airport resumed operations after a massive shutdown triggered by pro-democracy protests. However, hundreds of flights remained cancelled, and a massive backlog of flights was yet to be cleared.
The protests, which have been ongoing for 10 weeks, have seen millions of people take to the streets in the biggest challenge to Chinese rule of the semi-autonomous city since its 1997 handover from Britain.
The demonstrations began in opposition to a bill that would have allowed extraditions to the mainland, but quickly evolved into a broader bid to reverse a slide of rights and freedoms in the southern Chinese city.
On Monday, thousands of protesters gathered at the airport, sparking an unprecedented shutdown. The abrupt closure marked a new low in the crisis, which has seen rising anger from authorities in Beijing.
Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam suspended plans for the extradition bill, but has consistently ruled out meeting any of the protesters' other demands, including the right to choose their next leader and an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality.
As the protests continue, the situation remains volatile, with police using tear gas and rubber bullets, and protesters sometimes hurling bricks and bottles.
"It is becoming more and more dangerous, but if we don't still come out at this point, our future will become more frightening, and we will lose our freedoms," a 22-year-old protester at the airport told AFP on Monday.
