Newsdeck: Hong Kong shuts govt offices, security tight after violent protests By Reuters reuters
* Govt offices to close rest of weekOn Thursday a few hundred protesters milled around with some sorting their supplies of face masks and food as a widespread cleanup around the city’s legislature took place.
Overnight several thousand demonstrators remained near the legislature in the Admiralty district, while thousands more retreated to the Central business district, overlooked by the towers of some of Asia’s biggest firms and hotel chains, including HSBC and AIA. Most roads around the central business district were opening for traffic on Thursday, but Pacific Place, a prime shopping mall next to the legislature, remained closed. Banks including Standard Chartered, Bank of China and DBS said they had suspended branch services in the area until further notice.
While acknowledging the controversy, Lam has refused to postpone or withdraw the bill, which she and her officials say is necessary to plug “loopholes” that are allowing the city to be a haven for criminals wanted on the mainland. “We are not a haven for criminals, but we have become a haven of violent police. Firing at our children? None of the former chief executives dared to do that,” said legislator Fernando Cheung.
Traffic was beginning to build up on the roads surrounding the legislature while the adjacent Admiralty metro station remained shut. Other stations were packed with commuters while others were being diverted and faced sprawling bus queues.
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