Hong Kong protesters storm government building over China extradition bill

HONG KONG PROTEST COVERAGE CONTINUES HERE

Our live coverage of the protests in Hong Kong has ended, but here’s what we know:

Asked why police left the legislative building before protesters broke in, Police Commissioner?Stephen Lo Wai-chung cited several reasons including some of the lights getting turned off.

Here’s what he said:

Thirteen police officers have been hospitalized after clashes with protesters in Hong Kong on Monday, the city’s police commissioner said.

The commissioner told reporters a chemical powder was thrown at police, adding that the action “crosses a line.”?

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam strongly condemned Monday’s violent protests at the government headquarters.

Lam went on to describe the protests as “two completely?different?scenes:?one was?a peaceful and rational parade…the other one was a heartbreaking, shocking, and?law-breaking scene.”

She also said they will take necessary legal action.?

CNN’s Chandler Thornton contributed to this report.

Hong Kong’s leader?Carrie Lam will hold a media briefing at police headquarters at 4 p.m. ET after a night of protests and police intervention across the city.

Several hundred, mostly young, activists were inside the Legislative Council building for hours before leaving late on Monday night.

Inside, they?spray-painted slogans in Cantonese?on the walls of the legislative chamber, tore down portraits and raised a black banner, that read: “There is no way left,” mounting an open challenge to China and Lam.

Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy legislator in Hong Kong, said protesters who stormed into the Legislative Council building are angry and frustrated with their government.

While Mo did not condone the vandalism, she said she sympathized with protesters.

“All the pictures you are seeing are shocking and they are unexpected, but then I hope the world wouldn’t just blame the young. You have to understand their temper, anger?and frustration and resentment, hostility in particular?against this legislature, which is just a rubber-stamping body.?It’s a rubber-stamping body because it’s being dominated by Beijing?minions and they outnumber the Democrats like myself?included,” she said.

Mo called on the city’s embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam to come?out “sincerely and genuinely” to address residents “as soon as possible.”

A group of protesters stormed the Hong Kong government headquarters on Monday.

They smashed glass doors, pried open metal shutters to enter the building and spray-painted slogans on the walls of the Legislative Council chamber.

This is what the damage looked like:

Protesters smash glass doors and windows of the Legislative Council complex on July 01, 2019 in Hong Kong.

The portrait of Andrew Leung, the chairman of the Legislative Council, is destroyed after protesters broke into the parliament chamber of the government headquarters in Hong Kong on July 1, 2019.

Protesters spray-paint graffiti on a sign at the Legislative Council building on July 1, 2019 in Hong Kong.

Thousands of demonstrators in Hong Kong stormed the government building in an escalation of tension over the past few weeks.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re just tuning in:

Police sitting down outside Hong Kong's Legislative Council building after clearing protesters from the area.

Most of the protesters cleared the Legislative Council building and the surrounding area after police moved in at around midnight, CNN’s Matt Rivers reported.

Police allowed protesters to spend the entire day in the area before clamping down on the protest “incredibly swiftly” and with a lot of “force and aggression,” he reported.

At Hong Kong’s Admiralty station, the main stop underneath the Legislative Council, dozens of young, black-clad protesters nervously waited for the train.

Once they were on board, they looked out the window to make sure their friends got on because police were shooting tear gas overheard.

Some even held up the train, to the annoyance of older citizens, to ensure their friends could get on.

When the doors finally closed and the train pulled out of the station, cheers reverberated down the train.

But even on the train, they didn’t take their face masks off. No one risked being recognized or photographed.

CNN’s Nic Robertson reports that “hundreds upon hundreds of police officers” have now gathered outside the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong.

At around 12:30 a.m. local time, police appeared to “lined up waiting to get their instructions” outside the building, Robertson reports.

Police moved into the area earlier this evening to push the protesters out of the building and out of the immediate area. Tear gas was fired upon the protesters by the police.

CNN correspondent Matt Rivers, who is near the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong, said it looks like police are blocking off roads to try to force protesters away from the area.

Rivers said that police are “quite intense” and are in full riot gear. He said this is a forceful and swift action to get protesters out of the legislative building and take control of the situation.

Watch more:

Hong Kong Police cleared the roads around the Legislative Council using tear gas and batons, according to CNN crews on the ground.

Police piled into protesters and pushed them onto the main Harcourt Road.

Mass protests in Hong Kong are being rapidly dispersed by hundreds of riot police, using tear gas and shields.

Protesters are making a last stand on Harcourt Road outside the Legislative Council building, which they unexpectedly occupied on Monday.

Police have been seen outside the entrance of the government building, indicating it may no longer be in protester control.

The speed with which protesters have been cleared in comparison to the heated protests on June 12 is staggering.

Once again, the police are raising the black flag, warning the remaining demonstrators that they’ll be launching tear gas soon.

Hong Kong police have arrived at the scene of the protests en masse and are now moving towards the Legislative Council building.

After raising black banners warning of tear gas, the police fired tear gas into the crowd.

It is now a full retreat by protesters as the police rapidly move forward towards the previously occupied government building.

Hundreds of police are beginning to move down the Queensway towards protesters, who have put up their umbrellas in advance.

Armed with riot shields and helmets, the police have charged towards protester lines.

Demonstrators have begun to urgently evacuate the Legislative Council.

Police fire tear gas at protesters near the government headquarters in Hong Kong on July 2, 2019, on the 22nd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China.

A damaged portrait of former legislative leader lie on the ground after protesters broke into the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong, Monday, July 1.

The crowd surrounding and occupying the Hong Kong Legislative Council has begun to spread out and dissipate as police threaten to clear the area.

But among a core group of protesters, there is division over how to proceed.

Some are calling for the demonstrators to stay until midnight and then leave on their own terms. Others say that they’ve come this far and they should try to hold the building.

Meanwhile, police are gathering at the government headquarters and large number of police vans have been seen driving towards the protest site.

Alan Hoo, vice chairman of the pro-Beijing Liberal Party, said the Hong Kong community would not be happy with protesters’ actions today.

Hoo added that protesters’ demands had been met, the extradition bill had been suspended and that there was no need to storm the seat of the government.

He said the police had “made a point today” by leaving protesters to take the building.

“They said, ‘Okay come in’ and what happened? They trashed the Legislative Chamber. This is not a protest movement. This is vandalism,” he said.

“The breakdown of law and order is the critical point you’ve reached today … The world is watching and this is not a peaceful protest.”

A protester gestures after they broke into the parliament chamber of the government headquarters in Hong Kong on July 1.

From the center of Hong Kong’s occupied government, protesters have issued a list of demands, which they have called the “Admiralty Declaration.”

Among their 10 demands are universal suffrage, the resignation of top officials associated with the extradition bill and an investigation into police brutality during the recent riots.

They have also called for all protesters who were arrested after the demonstrations on June 9 to be released and for the date to be made an official public holiday.

The demands were read out in the Legislative Council chamber.

A protester defaces the Hong Kong emblem after protesters broke into the government headquarters in Hong Kong on July 1.

It has been a historic night for Hong Kong, after demonstrators stormed the government headquarters in a dramatic escalation of tensions following weeks of protests.

Here’s what you need to know:

Protesters have erected in LegCo portraits of the three officials responsible for the controversial extradition to China bill and the man they hold responsible for the crackdown on protesters on June 12, police chief Stephen Lo.

They have previously demanded that the four resign, as officials did over the Article 23 debacle in 2003, when the government tried to pass a law criminalizing acts of sedition and subversion against mainland China.

But so far none of these four have shown any sign of moving.

From left to right, Stephen Lo, Carrie Lam, Theresa Cheng, John Lee.

They’ve been overshadowed by the chaos at the government headquarters this evening, but an estimated 550,000 people took part in the peaceful pro-democracy march today.

That figure comes from the organizers of the July 1 march, the Civil Human Rights Front.

It marks a huge surge in year-on-year attendance, and is more than 10 times the 50,000 people estimated to have marched on July 1, 2018.

Police, however, said an estimated 190,000 people took part in today’s march.

Images from the protest showed young and old people marching side-by-side. Some parents even brought along their young children.

Among the chants used by protesters were “(Chief Executive) Carrie Lam, step down!” and “Free Hong Kong.”

Standing on a table inside the main legislative chamber, one of the protesters has called on the crowd to stay inside the Hong Kong government building tonight.

The crowd cheered and clapped when he finished.

In a video statement on their social media, Hong Kong police announced it would be clearing the area around the Legislative Council building.

“The police will take appropriate force in the event of obstruction or resistance,” the spokesman added.

Protesters were advised to clear the building as soon as possible, as the police condemned the violence and forced illegal entry into the building.

Hong Kong protesters have raised a black sign in the heart of Hong Kong’s government, saying: “There is no way left.”

On the reverse side, it reads: “There’s no rioters, there’s only tyranny.”

The sign is a response to police claims that protesters engaged in rioting during the June 9 demonstration against the extradition to China bill.

The Hong Kong government has demanded that the protesters currently trashing the Legislative Council building “stop at once.”?

In a statement, it condemned protesters for storming the government building saying they were affecting everyone’s safety.?

The government added that the official annual July 1 march had been done in a peaceful and rational manner and said that it respected people’s right to demonstrate and voice their opinion.

Speaking inside the Legislative Council, which has been taken over by protesters, pro-democracy Labour Party lawmaker Fernando Cheung called the storming of the building a mistake.

“This is a complete trap, I’m sorry that people played into it,” he said.

Cheung said that so far the protests had been “really reasonably” and “really peaceful.”

But he said he understood that young people feel desperate. “They feel the lives of their comrades have been taken by the regime,” he said.

Hong Kong protesters are now in the Legislative Council chamber … the very heart of the government.

After spraying slogans in Cantonese on the wall behind the President’s chair, one protester attempted to hang the British colonial-era flag over the city’s crest.

But unable to get it to stay up, they instead spray painted the red Bauhinia crest black and hung the flag off the podium of the Legislative Council President’s desk.

Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997, when it was handed back to China.

The British colonial flag has become a regular sight at protests in recent years.

Protesters are vandalizing the heart of the Hong Kong’s government, tearing portraits off the walls and spraying painting slogans on the walls and furniture.

In the main lobby of the Legislative Council, demonstrators have written on the wall: “HK Gov f**king disgrace” in English.

Underneath, in Cantonese it says: “Release the martyrs.”

Meanwhile, other protesters are tearing the building’s furniture apart, destroying computers and ripping down displays.

Never in the recent history of Hong Kong protests have demonstrators been so actively destructive or angry.

Protesters are cheering and waving umbrellas in the air inside the Hong Kong Legislative Council building, where just hours ago stood dozens of riot police.

Early images from inside the government headquarters show the demonstrators are very much in control of the building for now.

Imagine if the US Congress was stormed en masse by a group of angry young protesters or if the Houses of Commons at Westminster was occupied.

This is what has happened in Hong Kong tonight.

After a day of angry clashes between protesters and police, and vandalism of the building’s exterior, demonstrators finally breached a metal shutter leading to the building just before 9 p.m. local time.

Riot police who had been standing behind the door retreated, effectively leaving the building to hundreds of protesters who poured inside.

Inside the building, the atmosphere is a mix of cheering and destruction, as demonstrators smash everything in sight while chanting “add oil.”

They’d been leading up to it all day. But this is the moment protesters finally stormed the Hong Kong government headquarters.

Hundreds are now pouring into the main areas of the building. Police appear to have retreated.

Here are the protesters breaking through the metal shutter.

Hong Kong protesters have broken in to the heart of the city’s government, the Legislative Council, by wrenching open a metal shutter at the entrance.

Riot police have temporarily retreated from the entrance but remain inside the building.

Multiple protesters have told CNN there is no plan for what to do once they’re inside.

Protesters use metal rods to smash glass doors and windows of the government headquarters in Hong Kong on July 1.

Protesters have forced a heavy steel shutter blocking an entrance to the Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) half way open and are continuing to batter it.

People standing at the front of the lines of the protest say they can feel the air conditioning from inside the building.

The angry demonstrators gained access to a small lobby area inside LegCo earlier this evening by smashing a hole in the glass entrance doors.

Waiting behind the metal door are dozens of Hong Kong riot police, helmeted and carrying heavy shields.

Protesters are still chanting for the withdrawal of the China extradition bill which has been suspended but not formally withdrawn.

Things look almost certain to turn violent if the protesters break through.

Here’s a map of where the protests are taking place today. The annual July 1 pro-democracy march usually snakes from Victoria Park to Central.

The violent protest that has seen demonstrators smash windows and inch inside the government headquarters is located at the Legislative Council near the end of that route.

Some protesters from the peaceful march are peeling off to the LegCo building as they near the end of the official protest.

Tensions are growing outside the Hong Kong government headquarters, known as the Legislative Council (LegCo), where protesters have smashed multiple windows and torn down barriers, so far without any reaction from police.

Several thousand protesters are packed into the demonstration zone outside LegCo’s public entrances, wearing helmets and masks. Their arms are wrapped in cling film to protect them from pepper spray.

There is little to no leadership and only spontaneous coordination. That’s led to confusion about how and when protesters should break in to LegCo … and what they’ll do even if they can get inside.

The protesters are all very young and very aware of the risks they are taking, hiding their faces and blocking reporters from taking photos. Some have even demand that images be deleted if they fear someone has been compromised.

Police patience cannot last forever and official statements suggests it’s almost run out. Protesters, meanwhile, are determined to stay on, even if that means fighting.

It’s a sea of yellow helmets outside the Hong Kong government headquarters as protesters settle in for a long evening.

CNN reporters on the ground estimate that more than 10,000 people have gathered in front of the building, committing random acts of vandalism.

More are still flooding in from the main protest march.

There are really two protests happening in Hong Kong today. The peaceful July 1 pro-democracy march attended by a cross-section of society, and the more radical protest that is trying to storm LegCo.

The main streets of Hong Kong have been shut down for the planned July 1 march. Aerial footage shot earlier today shows tens of thousands of protesters peacefully making their voices known.

Event organizers and police haven’t released any crowd size estimates yet, meaning we don’t know if this march is smaller or larger than recent protests.

But from above, it certainly looks impressive.

Protesters attempt to smash a glass door at the government headquarters in Hong Kong on July 1.

Angry protesters are trying their hardest to tear into the city’s Legislative Council (LegCo) building … and so far the nearby riot police are letting them.

Windows have been smashed. Metal fences torn apart. Demonstrators have even used long metal poles to try to prise open the metal shutters that stand between them and entering the main building.

There appears to be some division among the protesters as to whether to move further into the government building or not, but the destruction is continuing regardless.

Video from inside the building shows dozens of Hong Kong police in full riot gear and additional police support is waiting nearby.

But so far no action has been taken by the authorities despite the issuing of a red alert at LegCo.

The Hong Kong government has released a statement condemning the “extremely violent acts” committed by masked protesters who “stormed” the Legislative Council (LegCo) complex today.

Protesters used a metal trolley and iron poles to ram and shatter the glass doors of the building. But they only got about 3 feet (90 cm) inside before coming up against metal shutters.

A red alert has been issued in the Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) as protesters try to storm the building.

All people should now immediately leave the building, a government statement said. It is unclear who, besides the riot police, would still be inside at this point.

Protesters there have been smashing windows with metal objects since this afternoon and some have now entered a small part of the building.

Pro-democracy lawmakers have tried to warn young protesters that if they enter the building they could be charged with rioting and jailed for up to 10 years.

Protesters have broken in to the Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) for the first time during these protests and are trying to storm the building.

Having smashed through a glass window, they are now facing a metal security shutter which they are trying to smash down.

If they get past that shutter, they will be able to enter the main part of the building.

Protesters are also ripping long, metal poles from a fence on one side of the building.

Protesters are still smashing the windows of the government headquarters but no one appears to have been able to enter the building yet.

That’s partly because of the heavy metal shutters that block access to the building in many places. The protesters also know there is a heavy police presence inside.

But demonstrators, who asked to remain anonymous, told CNN that they weren’t trying to break in.

Another student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that huge numbers of protesters on the streets hadn’t moved the government to action.

“This is why we’re taking further action,” she said.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Roy Kwong Chun-yu speaks over a loud hailer to the police as he joins protesters in Hong Kong on Monday, July 1.

The sun is beginning to set in Hong Kong but the protests are still going strong.

The annual July 1 pro-democracy march is a fixture of the Hong Kong calendar but today’s has been far more heated than in previous years.

Here’s how things stand at 6 p.m.:

Young protesters have launched another attack on the Hong Kong government headquarters.

Using metal barriers and poles, a group of masked demonstrators smashed a glass window at a public entrance where there are currently no police.

This phrase is what people here would chant at a basketball game or a sporting event. It would be the equivalent of: “Go Hong Kong, go!”

Protesters smash through the public entrance of the Hong Kong Legislative Council.

Around the corner, there is still a tense stand off between police and protesters at the site where they pushed a metal trolley through a glass window earlier today.

So far no protesters have tried to physically enter the government headquarters.

Protesters chant slogans on Harcourt Road outside the government headquarters after the annual flag raising ceremony to mark the 22nd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China, in Hong Kong on July 1.

It’s the stretch of road that has been the site of multiple clashes between police and protesters over the past month.

Today the demonstrators have once again occupied Harcourt Road, the busy street outside Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, the government headquarters.

This road was occupied by protesters on June 9, before police used tear gas and rubber bullets to force them to leave.

Since then, it has been temporarily shut down by protests at least one more time. Now the black-clad demonstrators have moved in.

Young protesters are locked in heated police clashes outside the government headquarters, but on the other side of town thousands of citizens are marching peacefully against the China extradition bill and to call for greater democracy.

This official march is bigger and has attracted a wider range of people, too. Middle aged folk, young people and even small children, some of them being carried on their parents’ shoulders, have all turned out.

What is the official march? This is the annual July 1 protest, which takes place on the anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China.

Where does it go? Their route takes them from Victoria Park along the north side of the island to the heart of the city in Central. March organizers today, however, have changed the route to avoid being caught up in the tense stand off outside the government offices.

What do they want? Among the protest chants today are calls to “Free Hong Kong” and for Chief Executive Carrie Lam to step down.

Police waiting inside the Hong Kong Legislative Council in full riot gear have attempted to communicate with protesters outside using a microphone.

Wearing a helmet, one of the officers stepped forward to warn protesters not to charge again. CNN journalists outside the building, however, said it was hard to hear what the officer said, even when he used the microphone.

There has been a tense stand-off between the two sides since the demonstrators shoved a metal cart through one of the glass doors of the building.

Police are still holding up the red flag, warning protesters not to charge.

Helicopters fly across Victoria Harbour carrying Hong Kong and Chinese flags to mark the 22nd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China on July 1.

As protesters clash with police in Hong Kong, mainland China is being kept more or less in the dark just a short distance away over the border.

Discussion of the protests is still banned on Chinese social media platforms, including Weibo and the widely used WeChat messaging app.

There is also almost no mention of the mass demonstrations in Chinese state-run media.

The most prominent mention in the state-run China Daily was an article on a march in support of Hong Kong police which was held on Sunday.

No Chinese government statement is expected on Monday’s protests.

Tensions are running high across Hong Kong as protesters congregate in two separate areas and police officers brace for an escalation.

If you’re just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:

Police officers stand guard behind the cracked glass wall of the Legislative Council after protesters try to break into in Hong Kong on Monday, July 1.

Amid the tense standoff in Admiralty, Hong Kong police have issued a statement asking citizens to “consider seriously whether to take part” in Monday’s march.

The annual July 1 pro-democracy protest march has already begun, with thousands of demonstrators gathering in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park.

But the police said that there was a “serious safety threat” to marchers, while emphasising they supported “people’s freedom of assembly.”

Earlier today, Senior Superintendent Kong Wing-Cheung said he had asked march organizers to either postpone the march or change the route. March organizers have since changed the route destination from Harcourt Road to Chater Road.

Hong Kong police officers are beginning to gather outside the Legislative Council and on Tim Wa Road, outside the headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army?(PLA).

Meanwhile, hundreds of officers in full protective riot gear are stationed inside the Legislative Council building as protesters try to break in.

The police, who have so appeared reluctant to engage with protesters, are now standing with shields up, bracing for potential escalation.

The main march of the day has just kicked off, starting in Victoria Park.

The march marks an annual tradition – July 1 has been a day of protest since Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China in 1997

In 2003, up to 500,000 protesters took to the streets over a proposed national security law many feared would allow the government to suppress dissent.

Since then, it’s been marked with pro-democracy protests.

We take a look at how big they have been in the past – and how much crowd estimates by organizers and officials have diverged.

Amid the tense standoff outside the Hong Kong government headquarters, the annual July 1 march has begun just a few kilometers away.

The mass pro-democracy protest is intended to mark the anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong, from the United Kingdom to China.

Among the chants already being used by marchers are, “(Chief Executive) Carrie Lam Step Down,” “Free Hong Kong” and “Democracy Now.”

Protesters rest on a road divide outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong after a flag raising ceremony to mark the 22nd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China on July 1.

July 1 was always likely to be a day of heavy protests in Hong Kong.

After weeks of controversy around the China extradition bill and accusations of police brutality, both organizers and police were expecting large turnouts on the anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China.

But clashes between black-clad protesters and armored police, involving barricades and pepper spray, are a clear indication of two sides on the edge.

The last major citywide protest on June 16 was reasonably calm. Few police were sighted and families with children joined in the march, which organizers said reached up to two million people.

What to expect today: This afternoon’s demonstration could have a very different tone.

One early indication will be whether there is a heavy police presence or if families feel safe coming out to the march, which is taking place on a public holiday in Hong Kong.

Antagonistic actions by either side could rapidly push the situation into a very bad place.

People packed into a subway station in Hong Kong, heading east to Victoria Park.

The main march of the day, which starts in Victoria Park and heads west into Central, has just kicked off at 3 p.m. local time.

The Admiralty MTR station is packed with people heading east, toward Victoria Park. Earlier today, protesters in Admiralty clashed with police and tried to break into the Legislative Council building.

Protesters appear to be holding back from storming Hong Kong’s government headquarters after slamming a large metal cart through a glass door into the building.

Police grabbed the cart and pulled it away, leaving the two sides with just a shattered glass door between them.

Once again, police have raised the red flag saying “Stop charging, or we use force.”

Police inside the government headquarters look at protesters who tried to smash their way into the building in Hong Kong on July 1.

The day has already deteriorated into a heated stand-off between police and demonstrators – and the official march has only just started.

Protesters broke into the city’s government headquarters just before 3 p.m. local time, using a metal trolley as a battering ram.

Where the Hong Kong protests stand:

The main march, which is set to begin in 15 minutes, has been rerouted as protesters in Admiralty try to break into the Legislative Council.

The march was originally supposed to start at Victoria Park and end in Harcourt Road, Central. The march will now end on Chater Road, according to organizers from the Civil Human Rights Front.

Authorities asked organizers to postpone the march or change the route after protesters and riot police clashed in the morning.

Protesters have shattered a door leading to Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, the center of the city’s government.

This was despite riot police inside raising a red flag with the words, “Stop charging or we use force.”

Lawmakers had tried to stop protesters from storming the building, even pushing them away.

Protesters ram a metal cart into a window at the Legislative Council building.

Protesters are being met with resistance from within their own ranks as they try to break into the government building in Admiralty.

Video shows some protesters pushing a metal cart towards the building’s glass walls – only for the cart to be pushed back by pro-democracy legislators trying to calm the situation down.

The result: a push-and-pull in a tightly packed, angry crowd.

The politicians include Democratic Party lawmakers Lam Cheuk-ting, Hui Chi-fung, Roy Kwong Chun-yu and HK First’s Claudia Mo.

Meanwhile, police officers – armed and holding shields – stand on the other side of the glass inside the Legislative Council. They hold a red banner that reads: “Stop charging or we use force.”

Protesters gather outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong on July 1, 2019.

Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers are attempting to calm down protesters outside the Legislative Council building, the center of the city’s government.

Politicians who support the protest including Democratic Party lawmakers Lam Cheuk-ting, Hui Chi-fung, Roy Kwong Chun-yu and HK First’s Claudia Mo have been attempting to discourage the crowd from taking violent actions.

Inside the Legislative Council building, which protesters are trying to storm, police have held up a red flag, meaning: Stop charging or we use force.

The police have a color-coded system of warning flags:

Police officers inside the Legislative Council have put up a red banner that reads, “Stop charging or we use force.”

On the other side of the glass window, protesters are trying to break in. They have rammed the walls and windows with steel rods and carts – and have succeeded in cracking the thick glass.

At a police press conference around 2 p.m., Senior Superintendent Kong Wing-Cheung announced that authorities had asked the organizers of the July 1 pro-democracy march to postpone.

It followed a morning of clashes between protesters and riot police, hours before the annual demonstration was even due to begin at 3 p.m.

A small group of protesters has even attempted to break into the Hong Kong Legislative Council by using a metal trolley as a battering ram.

In response to the unexpected violence, police said they had suggested the march organizers to either postpone the protest or change the route.

According to Kong, the protest organizers refused.

Hundreds of thousands are expected to take the streets later Monday, in what organizers hope will be the largest protest against the extradition bill since June’s record-breaking turnout.

Protesters are trying to break into the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong, but the walls and windows are holding firm.

The thick, reinforced glass windows are cracked from when protesters rammed them with metal carts and rods, but they have yet to give way.

There are unconfirmed reports that additional police units armed with riot gear are heading to intercept the protesters.

Protesters trying to break into the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong.

Riot police are firing pepper spray at protesters who are attempting to break into the Hong Kong Legislative Council building, the center of the city’s government.

Several hundred, mainly young, masked protesters are leading the charge, in what marks the most significant escalation since June 12, when as many as 5,000 riot police fired rubber bullets during violent clashes with protesters.

Protesters are still using a metal cart to ram their way into the building, but the glass door is holding for the moment.

Protesters trying to break into the Legislative Council in Hong Kong.

A number of the anti-extradition bill protesters waiting outside Hong Kong’s Legislative Council building are attempting to force their way inside.

Images from the scene show demonstrators using a metal cart as a battering ram in an attempt to smash through the front entrance.

Images show riot police rushing to the scene in a bid to prevent the protestors from entering.

Hong Kong pro-democracy legislators Claudia Mo and Lam Cheuk Ting had been trying to discourage the protesters from storming the government building.

But angry demonstrators appear to have ignored their advice.

Watch the moment here:

In the lead up to July 1 protests, Hong Kong protesters have tried to take their message to the world.

After a successful crowd-funding effort, pro-democracy groups published full-page advertisements in international publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post.

They called on world leaders at the G20 summit in Japan on June 28 and 29 to raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

There were even groups of Hong Kong activists who protested in Osaka itself, close to the G20, and in Grand Central Terminal in New York.

There have been some small rewards for their efforts.

Ahead of the G20, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that it would not allow any questions on the Hong Kong protests.

But in his first meeting with China’s Xi, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raised the issue, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

An ad in the national daily newspaper The Australian on June 28, 2019.

Hong Kong protesters last week crowdfunded more than HK$5 million ($640,110) to buy full-page ads in major international newspapers including the New York Times and The Australian.

The ads, which came out ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka, urged readers and world leaders to support the full withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill.

But the man behind the campaign – a 29-year-old developer using the pseudonym Tony Lo – says he was just the man at the keyboard.

“I executed the people’s idea. We executed the idea together – I just pushed the button,” Lo said.

Earlier today, Lo was with protesters on the front lines as they clashed with police officers, who Lo says used pepper spray.

“I’d rather get injured today and arrested under Hong Kong law, than get arrested under Chinese law,” he said. “It’s not even a choice for me.

Hong Kong police clashed with pro-democracy protesters outside government headquarters on Monday.

Hong Kong police say 13?officers were injured when protesters threw an unidentified liquid at them in a clash on Monday morning.

The injured officers were sent to hospital, according to a statement released by police.?

Officers said a group of protesters had blocked the road and charged at a police cordon.

CNN’s team on the ground saw police charging at protesters in the same incident.?

Protesters in Admiralty rest in tents and under building awnings to escape the heat.

Hundreds of protesters are sheltering under the awnings of Hong Kong’s government headquarters.

Protesters take shade: Tents are still up from people who stayed overnight, and hundreds are napping on the ground in the shade.

They’re trying to conserve energy – the main protest doesn’t even begin until about 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Setting up shop: Around them are makeshift supply stores, a memorial to protesters who died last month, a first-aid stand and a banner-making station.

There is also protest art on the walls – some featuring Hong Kong’s increasingly unpopular leader Carrie Lam. One poster depicts her in front of a Communist flag and calls her “the killer of Hong Kong.”

Posters near Hong Kong's government headquarters satirize city officials, including Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Activists in 2016 holding yellow umbrellas, a symbol of the pro-democracy movement after 2014's Umbrella Revolution.

Hong Kong citizens can’t fully elect their own government – but they do enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly, and the city has a long history of?political protest.

Here are some major protests in recent years:

Read more about Hong Kong protests here.

Protesters gather in Admiralty.

Police have completely retreated from the crucial Harcourt Road artery in Admiralty after an earlier stand-off with protesters.?

For now, protesters have been left alone – and they’re using that time to build up new barricades closer to police headquarters.

Bricks dug up from the pavement.

What protesters are up to: Some protesters are unscrewing fences and dragging them across the street. Others have dug up bricks from the footpath.?

As with other protests last month, there’s a strong sense of collective spirit. Near where protesters dug up bricks, people are collecting trash. Others are handing out water. Protesters are also passing out cling film to wrap around bare arms, to protect against pepper spray.

Protesting in the heat: It’s 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) outside, with humidity levels reaching 79%, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.?Earlier, a van carrying water supplies drove into the crowd, prompting cheers.?

Many protesters have also moved into shade under building entrances, where organizers have collected bags of supplies – protective hard hats, water and banners.

Protest supplies suggest a long day awaits.

The Wan Chai and Admiralty subway stations, which had been shut down earlier today, are “gradually resuming,” the MTR said.

The two stations are some of the busiest on the Tsuen Wan, Island and South Island lines.

A protester

Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong is dressed for protest – wearing black all over, carrying a black flag, donning a face mask and with a GoPro camera strapped to his chest in case police get violent.

Wong and thousands of other pro-democracy protesters are gathering in Admiralty, occupying the streets outside the government and police headquarters.

The black flag, an altered version of the Hong Kong flag, represents freedom and death, Wong said. He notes that the territory has only ever had flags chosen by Britain or China.

“The extradition law is seen as something that is only happening to Hong Kong,” he says. “But if you look more deeply, it will actually affect every nation on planet Earth. Any other nations’ citizens can be abducted back to China.”

Over the last month, critics have argued that the extradition bill could be used to send anyone on Hong Kong soil to mainland China for political or inadvertent business offences – and encroach upon the city’s rule of law and political freedoms.

What’s happening in Hong Kong is a “threat to the civilization of the free world,” Wong said. “Hong Kong is just the first wave.”

Protesters gather outside government headquarters in Admiralty.

As Hong Kong’s streets fill with protesters, the city’s transportation system is taking a hit.

Meanwhile, traffic is blocked in the Central and Admiralty districts as protesters cordon off streets with makeshift barricades and dumpsters.

Thousands of people are gathering on Harcourt and Lung Wo roads, with police working to disperse crowds.

The streets surrounding Hong Kong's government headquarters are a popular route for protesters.

Police officers and pro-democracy protesters clash outside government headquarters.

Face masks, goggles and cling wrap sleeves have become standard protest wear – but today at least three protesters have been spotted with a new accessory: GoPros.

Police and protesters have disputed the degree of force used at previous protests.

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters are gathering outside the Hong Kong government headquarters in Admiralty.

Clashes have already occurred between protesters and police.

Protesters are using makeshift wooden shields and umbrellas to protect themselves against police, fearful of pepper spray or tear gas, which police used in previous protests last month.

Protesters are carrying umbrellas, face masks and hard hats.

Protesters are also creating barricades out of street fences, moving barriers and dumpsters on to the street to block it off.

Protesters move barriers into position.

Early rain also didn’t deter the assembled crowd.

Protesters holding umbrellas face off police officers in anti-riot gear in Hong Kong on Monday, July 1, 2019.

Protesters hand out cling film and water in Admiralty in preparation for a day of protests.

It’s all peaceful and quiet at Harcourt Road near the government headquarters, but there’s a sense of anticipation — and protesters are preparing for the possibility of police action.?

A few thousand protesters – mainly young men in black and wearing face masks?– have gathered on the street. Some protesters are unscrewing fences from the ground, and using plastic ties to strap them together to make barricades.

Others are setting up supply stations. There are cardboard boxes full of white and yellow hard hats, plastic bags full of gloves, water and rolls of glad wrap which can be wrapped around arms to protect against pepper spray.

A first aid station has been set up nearby.

Earlier, a man with a loudspeaker and a ski mask urged protesters to take precautions, warning that the pepper spray reportedly fired at about 8 a.m. this morning was stronger than normal.

Protesters prepare barricades in Admiralty.

A protester waves a "black bauhinia" flag outside Hong Kong's Legislative Council.

Protesters have filled Harcourt Road outside the government headquarters in Admiralty. They’ve set up stations to hand out water and cling film, which they wrap around their bare arms and legs to protect against police pepper spray.

Gaston Hung, 27, used both cling film and a face mask. He was hit by tear gas while protesting on June 12, which irritated his skin and made it hard to breathe.

Clara Cheung, a Hong Kong artist, has been at Admiralty since 6:15 a.m. She waves a “black bauhinia” flag, an altered version of the Hong Kong flag, saying it represents the city’s future and the ongoing struggle with China.

“In the long term, we need autonomy in Hong Kong,” she said.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam at a press conference on June 18, 2019.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam spoke at the Monday flag-raising ceremony that kicked off the 22nd anniversary of the city’s handover from Britain to China.

Lam added that the last month of protests against the controversial extradition bill had reminded her to “listen patiently” and “be open and accommodating.”

She pledged to improve the government’s communication with Hong Kong people.

“I know that the government has a lot to improve,” she said. “We will continue to listen to the community’s views and make continuous improvement to our work.”

Hong Kong protesters at a rally against the extradition bill on June 26, 2019.

Today’s protests might see a higher turnout than previous July 1 demonstrations – after all, Hong Kong has been protesting for the past month.

The current round of protests began on June 9 over a?controversial extradition bill with China. Since then, angered by perceived police brutality and the government’s lukewarm response, up to 2 million protesters have taken to the streets.

Why are people against the bill?

Critics fear it could be used to extradite anyone in Hong Kong to mainland China for political or inadvertent business offences – and encroach upon Hong Kong’s rule of law and political freedoms.

What has the government done?

It has suspended the bill indefinitely, and Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam issued a public apology – blaming herself for failure to communicate effectively to the public.

If the bill is shelved, why are people still protesting?

Protesters want the bill fully withdrawn – not just suspended – fearing it could be easily reintroduced. They’re also calling for Lam to step down, and for arrested protesters to be set free.

Read more about the extradition bill here.

Demonstrators wave Chinese flags during a pro-police rally in Hong Kong on June 30, 2019.

Protesters have been marching for a month, demanding the withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill – but on Sunday, the other side took the streets.

Up to 53,000 pro-government protesters filled Tamar Park, according to police estimates. They held placards and shouted slogans expressing support for Hong Kong police, who anti-bill protesters accuse of using excessive force.

Pro-democracy protesters showed up as well, leading to scuffles and confrontations between the two groups.

The pro-democracy group was largely composed of young people, including many teenagers carrying Hong Kong flags – while pro-police protesters carried Chinese flags.

Hong Kong police were on the streets as early as 6:30 a.m.

Hong Kong officials have just conducted the flag-raising ceremony marking the 22nd anniversary of the city’s handover from Britain to China.

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam was at the ceremony with her husband singing the Chinese national anthem.?

The ceremony involves hoisting the Chinese flag up alongside a smaller Hong Kong flag. The two flags were flown over Hong Kong by two helicopters.

The ceremony was moved indoors due to bad weather, according to a statement from the Hong Kong Information Services Department.

The ceremony has been targeted by pro-democracy protesters in the past. In 2017, during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the city, activist Joshua Wong and other protesters occupied the ceremony venue, chaining themselves to a giant gold statue of its eponymous flower.

Protesters set up barricades in Hong Kong ahead of a day of marches and demonstrations on July 1, 2019.

A number of protesters clashed with police in?Hong Kong’s Central district early Monday.

At about 7:20 a.m. local time, police charged towards protesters who had camped out on the street since 4 a.m.?

According to a statement released by police, protesters have gathered iron poles, bricks from a nearby construction site and guard rails to barricade a road and obstruct traffic.?

Local TV station HKiCable broadcast live video of riot police and protesters surging towards each other, with police holding batons and demonstrators using umbrellas in the clash.?

July 1 is the 22nd anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from British rule to China. The day is usually marked with protests, but not in such a violent and tense fashion.

A protester waves a "black bauhinia" flag as others set up barricades outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong before the flag-raising ceremony on July 1, 2019.?

Today marks the anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China – and what has become an annual day of pro-democracy protests.

Tensions have been heightened all summer over a controversial extradition bill, which has led to record-breaking protests.

Here’s what you need to know:

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, announces that she will delay the controversial extradition bill in Hong Kong on June 15, 2019.

The story of Hong Kong’s controversial extradition bill – and the subsequent protests – all began with a gruesome murder. Here’s how the tale unfolded:

A murder on vacation: In February 2018, a Hong Kong couple were vacationing in Taiwan. While they were there, 20-year-old Chan Tong-kai allegedly murdered his 19-year-old girlfriend Poon Hiu-wing, according to local media reports.

The alleged killer headed back to Hong Kong and in March 2018, Poon’s decomposed body was found on the outskirts of Taipei.

The killer escapes extradition: Hong Kong authorities charged Chan with money laundering for stealing Poon’s property, and he was sentenced to 29 months in jail – but because Taiwan and Hong Kong do not have an extradition agreement, Chan could not be sent to Taiwan to face a murder trial.

Murder case turned political battle: In February 2019, Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam proposed an extradition bill, which would allow fugitives to be sent to territories where Hong Kong doesn’t have formal extradition deals?– such as Taiwan, Macau and mainland China.

It was met with criticism from the start. Critics said they were worried about being subjected to China’s opaque legal system – and the effect it could have on Hong Kong’s role as an international finance hub.

Many marched in opposition, and even Taiwan said it would not cooperate with the bill if it was passed. In June, Lam suspended the bill – but she still hasn’t responded to demands to withdraw it entirely.

Hong Kong pro-Beijing lawmaker Abraham Shek (centre right in white vest) is escorted from a legislative meeting after scuffles broke out between pro-Beijing and pro-democracy lawmakers over the proposed extradition law in the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on May 11, 2019.

Protests over a proposed extradition law really kicked off in June – but the bill has been in the works for a while.

The government says the bill will plug loopholes in existing laws by allowing Hong Kong to decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not to send fugitives to territories where it doesn’t have formal extradition deals?– such as Taiwan, Macau and mainland China.

But critics warn it could leave anyone on?Hong Kong?soil vulnerable to being grabbed by Chinese authorities for political reasons or inadvertent business offenses, which could undermine rule of law in the city.

Here’s a timeline of Hong Kong’s extradition bill:

Read more about the controversy here.

Tens of thousands of protesters march against a proposed extradition law in Hong Kong on June 16, 2019.?

Today’s march comes after a month of protests.

In June, protesters came out on the streets of Hong Kong every few days to voice their opposition to a controversial extradition bill. On a number of occasions, they swarmed around government buildings and brought the city center to a standstill.

Here’s a look back at Hong Kong’s summer of discontent:

Protesters at a pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong on July 1, 2016.

On July 1, 1997, Britain handed sovereignty over Hong Kong to China after ruling the colony for more than 150 years.

Under the terms of the handover, the city kept its capitalist economic system, limited political freedoms, and a certain level of autonomy under the principle of “one country, two systems.”

Ever since, July 1 been marked by pro-democracy marches, with protesters in recent years expressing fears that China is encroaching on Hong Kong’s protected autonomy.

Although the number of protesters has fluctuated over recent years, Monday might see a surge following the controversy over a proposed extradition deal with China. In the past few weeks alone, up to 2 million people have taken to the streets calling for the bill to be withdrawn.

Britain's Prince of Wales delivers his speech during the ceremony commemorating the handover of Hong Kong to China on July 1, 1997.