Hong Kong’s braces for weekend of fresh protests

Hong Kong is preparing for a weekend of demonstrations, including a human chain at major subway lines on Friday and a democracy march on Sunday.

This is the latest move by the anti-government protesters in more than four months.

It has been two weeks since Carrie Lam, leader of the Chinese-ruled city, invoked emergency laws for the first time in half a century to ban face masks, hoping to quell protests.

Hundreds of people are expected to join hands outside metro stations in the city on Friday night, including in the central business district, prime shopping centres, the Kowloon peninsula and rural New Territories.

Last month, Lam withdrew the controversial extradition bill that kicked off the protests amid concerns it would expose Hong Kongers to the Chinese justice system.

The bill’s withdrawal was one of the protesters’ key requests, but they say four others - an independent inquiry into police behaviour, a waiver for all people charged in the protests, removing the characterization of the protests as “riots” and universal suffrage - must be addressed.

Many protesters have also called for Lam’s resignation.