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Thousands Gather for Pro-Police Rally in Hong Kong

Reuters

   HONG KONG -- Tens of thousands gathered in Hong Kong on Saturday to
   voice support for the police and call for an end to violence, after a
   wave ofprotests againstan extradition bill triggered clashes between
   police and activists and plunged the city into crisis.
   The rally, called "Safeguard Hong Kong," came a day ahead of another
   mass protest planned against the government and its handling of the
   now-suspended extradition bill that would have allowed people in Hong
   Kong to be sent to mainland China for trial.
   Police have called for calm ahead of Sunday's protest, where security
   is expected to be tight. Authorities have removed metal barriers --
   which activists have used to block roads during previous demonstrations
   -- from areas around the march route.
   "We are experiencing the most serious revolution after Hong Kong's
   handover," said former Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang. "We
   are also experiencing the most serious challenge for "One Country, Two
   Systems," he added, referring to the system under which Hong Kong is
   governed since its handover from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

   Explosive found in raid
   Also Saturday, the Associated Press reported that police in Hong Kong
   found about 2 kilograms of a powerful homemade explosive, TATP, and
   arrested a man in a raid on a commercial building late Friday night.
   TATP, or tri-acetone tri-peroxide, has been used in terrorist attacks
   worldwide.
   Local media reported that police found materials voicing opposition to
   the extradition bill at the site, the AP reported. A police spokesman
   said no concrete link between the explosives cache and the march had
   been established, and they were continuing to investigate.
   Hong Kong's embattled leader, Carrie Lam, has apologized for the
   turmoil the extradition bill has caused and declared it "dead,"
   although opponents say nothing short of its full withdrawal will do.
   Demonstrators, mostly middle-aged or older and dressed in white, braved
   heavy rain and thunderstorms to gather at the city's Tamar Park, next
   to the Legislative Council, which protesters stormed and raided on July
   1, the 22nd anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to Chinese rule.
   Some waved Chinese flags as others chanted "Hong Kong Cheer Up" and
   "Support Hong Kong Police."

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