Hong Kong: Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Monday said that violent protests have pushed the region to the verge "of a very dangerous situation," and that they have also affected the economy.
"The violent protest actions have pushed Hong Kong to a very dangerous situation. The violence and destructive acts have escalated, including blocking the tunnel, MTR, and surrounding police stations. Some extreme violent protesters even threw bricks, threw petrol bombs and made bombs," CNN quoted Lam as saying.
"Hong Kong is a free society – freedom is our core value. Some violent protesters used violence to express their views. Some extreme violent protesters have changed the nature of the protest, including defacing the anthem and throwing flags into the river," she added.
"Our economy and livelihood have started to show signs of problems. Our society is becoming unsafe and unstable," Lam stated.
She further said that low-income groups are the most affected due to the agitations, which initially started due to a now-suspended extradition bill.
"As a result of these widespread disruptions and violence, the great majority of Hong Kong people are in a state of great anxiety. Some of them do not know whether they could take some forms of public transport, while others right now are being blocked on the way to work. The government will be resolute in maintaining law and order in Hong Kong," the pro-Chinese leader added.
Hong Kong has been rocked by protests since June this year, with hundreds of thousands of protestors taking to the streets to protest a proposed bill that would allow China to extradite people to be tried in the mainland.
Even though the bill has now been suspended, protests continue. Demonstrators have put forth five demands, including calls for greater democracy in the region.
In the wake of a citywide strike on Monday, at least 100 flights have been cancelled in Hong Kong. A few flights have been delayed by over 24 hours, leaving passengers stranded at the airport.
