Thousands of protesters march through Hong Kong against government
Shouting slogans of "Down with the evil bill!" and "Reclaim Hong Kong, the revolution of our time," protesters of all ages took part in the march.
"We want the extradition to be removed," protester Leo Wu said. "But especially after the June and July [protests] ... we are not just disagreeing with the bill anymore - we disagree with the government and the police."
The protest was originally scheduled to march through Sheung Wan, a historic district popular with tourists, but after it failed to receive police approval, tens of thousands headed in the opposite direction, towards a major shopping district and police headquarters.
The protests are part of a wider movement that began on June 9 against a controversial legislative bill allowing for criminal extradition to mainland China, but they have spiralled into a greater demonstration against the government and police brutality.
Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in recent weeks, even as protests regularly end in a show of force from riot police.
Wu and many protesters on Sunday were drawn to the demonstration by violence against protesters last weekend, which saw armed thugs widely believed to belong to the local mafia beat up protesters and commuters after a demonstration.
Others spoke of their anger at the decline of Hong Kong's civil liberties since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
"I feel Hong Kong's democracy system has been deteriorating a lot. The government keeps on telling lies and they don’t follow rules. They have had a loss of integrity," said protester Sally Wong, who identified as a government civil servant.
Sunday's march was markedly different from a similar unsanctioned protest held on Saturday in Yuen Long, a north-western district in Hong Kong's New Territories, where riot police moved in to clear the scene within the first two hours of the demonstration.
Saturday night saw riot police use rubber bullets, tear gas and batons on protesters in an attempt to empty Yuen Long train station.
Hong Kong is an autonomous Chinese city with special rights and privileges until 2047.
