According to the South China Morning Post citing police data, 40% of detainees are students.
The total number of illegal protesters detained in Hong Kong over the past eight months has now exceeded 7,000. This was reported by the South China Morning Post on Friday, citing the latest data provided by local police commissioner Chris Tan.
According to the publication, since early summer last year, 7,019 offenders have been detained among radical protesters, 40% of whom are students. Almost 1.1 thousand people have already been prosecuted by the courts, including 547 – on charges of rioting.
In June 2019, mass protests began in Hong Kong against the intention of local authorities to pass an extradition bill allowing for the extradition of offenders to mainland China. Despite the withdrawal of this legislative initiative, opposition supporters continued their anti-government demonstrations. They were periodically accompanied by road blockades, violence, arson and vandalism. From mid-November, the situation in the city calmed down, with rallies held in a peaceful manner.