Fri 09 August 2019:
Pro-democracy activists have kicked off three days of rallies at Hong Kong’s airport, hoping to win international support from arriving passengers as the protests that have rocked the city enter the third month.
Hundreds of demonstrators, mostly wearing black shirts, started to gather at the arrival area of Chek Lap Kok Airport early afternoon on Friday – the second time they brought their message to the international travel hub.
Demonstrators promoted it on social media with a mock boarding pass reading “HK to freedom” and “warm pick-up to guests to HK”.
Extra security measures have been put in place at the airport before the rallies, with authorities preventing anyone without a boarding pass from entering the check-in area.
The gatherings, expected to run over three days, have not been authorised, but the last demonstration at the airport passed off peacefully without causing flight disruptions.
Airport Authority Hong Kong earlier said that it was aware of the planned rallies but “the airport will operate normally”.
Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, reporting from Hong Kong, said the main worry among Hong Kong authorities is not the protest at the airport, but the other unauthorised demonstrations expected across the city throughout the day and the coming weekend.
“You’ve got to remember that many protesters go out, and they protest quite peacefully. The concern for the authorities is, as we go through the day, that there is a hardcore group of thousands of protesters, who seemed to get involved in clashes with the authorities,” McBride said.
Meanwhile, an email attributed to an unidentified government spokesman said the government and the travel industry were working to minimise disruptions and “all stand ready to welcome and assist visitors to Hong Kong any time”.
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