Thousands converge on Hong Kong parliament in fresh anti-government demo
Hong Kong: Thousands of black-clad protesters blocked a highway outside Hong Kong's parliament Friday, demanding the resignation of the city's pro-Beijing leader over a controversial extradition proposal that has sparked the territory's biggest political crisis in decades.
The protest comes after the government refused to meet the demands of demonstrators who have marched in their millions to oppose a bill that would allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland.
The movement has morphed into a larger rebuke of Chief Executive Carrie Lam's administration.
Opposition groups, after putting on the biggest political rallies in Hong Kong's history, have called for the complete withdrawal of the legislation and for Lam to step down.
After converging at Hong Kong's main government complex before rush hour, hundreds of protesters -- many wearing face masks and chanting anti-government slogans -- poured onto Harcourt Road outside the parliament building, blocking the major artery completely before allowing some vehicles to trickle through.
Protesters, who have been largely leaderless during the anti-government rallies, were encouraged to "hold picnics" outside the legislature.
Many sat with umbrellas unfurled to block the sun, others sprayed water to keep them cool in the heat. Some found shade under a bridge near the complex.
"Physically and mentally, I'm really tired. But there's no other way. As a Hong Konger you can't not come out," said 21-year-old student Cheung Po Lam.
"I'm very dissatisfied with... (the government's) attitude," he added.
Some at the government complex brought placards asking the police not to shoot at them, in a reference to sporadic violence last week between security officials and protesters.
In addition to ousting Lam and cancelling the extradition bill, protesters also want the release of those detained during those clashes, and an investigation into allegations of police brutality.
"The government still hasn't responded to our demands, After so many days... they are all talking rubbish and shifting the blame on one another," protester Poyee Chan, 28, told AFP.
"So I feel we need to come out and tell them: we citizens won't accept such fake responses."
The call for Friday's protest was made by the city's student unions, as well as informal organisers over social media and messaging apps like Telegram.
"Blossom everywhere," read a statement circulated Thursday in a Telegram chat group.
"There are many ways to participate. Think carefully about your own ways to show your love to Hong Kong. June 21 is not the end of the fight, there will be more in the coming days." The groups had also recommended a mass strike, but it was not immediately clear which business or professional groups would support such a call.
Lam has so far defied calls to step down, and while she has apologised and suspended the bill indefinitely, it has failed to quell anger. Administrative offices at the complex were closed on Friday "due to security considerations".
Although Hong Kong was returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, it is still administered separately under an arrangement known as "One country, two systems".
The city enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland but many residents have been alarmed in recent years by what they feel is a tighter grip by Beijing.
Opponents of the extradition bill fear it will ensnare the people of Hong Kong in mainland China's opaque and politicised justice system, and also give Beijing a tool to target its critics based in the semi-autonomous territory.
The Chinese government had supported the extradition proposal, and accused protest organisers of colluding with Western governments. It dismissed expressions of support for the Hong Kong opposition as interference in the city -- and China's -- internal affairs.
But Beijing said after the bill's suspension that it respected and understood the decision.
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Prabhsimran fifty, Jitesh cameo lift Punjab Kings to 214/5 against SRH
Hyderabad, May 19: Prabhsimran Singh set the tone with a quickfire fifty before skipper Jitesh Sharma finished it off in style to lift Punjab Kings to an imposing 214/5 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, here on Sunday.
The new look opening pair of Prabhsimran and Vidarbha's Atharva Taide put on 97 runs from 55 balls as PBKS did well to see through the power play without losing a wicket after opting to bat.
Prabhsimran smashed seven fours and four sixes for his 45-ball 71, while Taide will regret missing out on a fifty after being dismissed for a well-made 46 off just 27 balls.
Taide smashed five fours and two sixes and after his departure, Prabhsimran got the company of Rilee Rossouw as the duo put together 54 off 32 balls to keep the momentum going in the middle overs.
It looked a one-way traffic at 151/1 in 14 overs when leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth dismissed the set batter Prabhsimran off a quicker delivery that took a faint edge and Heinrich Klaasen did well to take a one-handed catch behind the stumps.
Cummins (1/36) ended his spell taking the wicket Rossouw one run shy of a half-century in the 18th over that left two new batters at the crease -- Jitesh Sharma and Ashutosh Sharma.
T Natarajan (2/33) then did well to remove the inform Ashutosh Sharma in the penultimate over.
PBKS went on to lose four wickets for 44 runs in five overs before the stand-in skipper Jitesh's last over assault took them to a fighting total.
Jitesh (32 not out from 15 balls; 2x4, 2x6) finished with two sixes against Nitish Kumar Reddy in a 20-run final over.
It was a fearless batting display by the Punjab Kings who had nothing to lose and playing the last match of the season.
There was no Jonny Bairstow or Liam Livingstone -- the English duo who have left home for national duty -- but PBKS batters never felt their absence after they opted to bat.
Following a tidy start by Pat Cummins and Bhuvneshwar Kumar where the duo conceded just 12 runs, Prabhsimran took on the veteran Indian seamer slamming him for consecutive boundaries.
The lefthander Taide then got into the act in Natarajan's opening over, when he dragged one from outside off to through mid-on and followed it up with a mighty pull.
The diminutive Punjab batter Prabhsimran added to their misery, hammering a 145kph delivery from Cummins over deep square leg with sheer timing.
Taide also matched his senior partner Prabhsimran and took on Bhuvneshwar with a six and four, as PBKS cruised to 61 for no loss in the power play and the home side looked desperate in search of a breakthrough.
Natarajan finally broke the opening partnership in the 10th over with a short and widish delivery to dismiss a well set Taide.
But Prabhsimran continued his belligerent batting in the company of Rossouw and raced to a 34-ball fifty, his second this season in the 11th over.
His big assault came in Nitish Reddy's next over when the duo spanked him for 20 runs two sixes and one four as there was no stopping PBKS.
