PROTESTS AHEAD OF 20TH YEAR OF HONG KONG HANDOVER|香港主權移交將滿20年 民主派表達抗議

Days before the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover, pro-democracy activists in the city staged a protest by draping a piece of black cloth over a statue symbolizing the city's return to China. Chanting protest slogans calling for democratic self-determination for Hong Kong's future, the protesters, led by former "Umbrella Movement" leader Joshua Wong, gathered in front of this golden statue of the Bauhinia flower. The sculpture, which became the emblem of Hong Kong after the handover, was a gift from Beijing and stands outside the convention center where President Xi will attend events during his upcoming visit for the anniversary. The protesters said in a statement that the covering the statue with a black cloth symbolizes the hard-line rule of the authoritarian regime over the past twenty years. The protest ended after police were called to take the cloth down. TRANSLATED BY：JEFF CHANG