City
Epaper

HK protesters declare 'dawn of anti-epidemic' strikes

By IANS | Updated: January 29, 2020 12:55 IST

Hong Kong protesters on Wednesday declared a new wave of strikes against the city's government refusal to close the border with China as a measure to combat the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak.

Open in App

Calls from the anti-government activists for city-wide action led to the targeting of road and rail services, reports the South China Morning Post newspaper.

Earlier, protesters had promised the "dawn of anti-epidemic" action if the government did not close the border as part of its response to the coronavirus, which has so far killed 132 people in China.

The disruption came a day after Chief Executive Carrie Lam revealed that her government would reduce cross-border travel with the rest of China through measures such as the suspension of new visas to individual mainland tourists and the shutdown of two railways, including the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

Apart from the rail service suspensions, announced by the government on Tuesday and effective from midnight on Thursday, flights to and from China would also be cut by half and cross-border bus services reduced.

But Lam stopped short of the total closure of the city's borders demanded by legislators from across the political spectrum.

Wednesday's low-level strike action came with Hong Kong in the grip of anti-government unrest, sparked last June by the now-withdrawn extradition bill.

The protests, which often descend into violence, have since morphed into a wider set of anti-government grievances, fuelled by allegations of police brutality and the campaign for more democracy.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: chinaHong KongCarrie Lam
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalChina Blast: 17 Inured as Explosion Rocks Residential Area in Shanxi Province; Disturbing Video Goes Viral

BusinessGlobal Tech Firms Eye India for Manufacturing Amid US-China Tensions

OpinionsWill the Trump Card work Against China?

International20 Dead After Fire Blows Up A Nursing Home In Northern China (Photos)

InternationalUS Imposes 104% Tariff on China, Effective April 9

International Realted Stories

InternationalBehavioral Exchange 2025 announces agenda with over 500 international experts

InternationalTheyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed attends Behavioural Exchange 2025 conference

InternationalArtillery deficit, warfighting capacity of 90 hours and economy in doldrums: Why Pakistan will bite the dust

InternationalNepal's National Assembly Chairperson draws govt's attention to thoroughly investigate death of 2 students in Odisha's KIIT

InternationalAir India suspends Tel Aviv operations after Houthi missile attack on Ben Gurion airport