London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Chaos as Hong Kong 'state of the union' disrupted

Chaos as Hong Kong 'state of the union' disrupted

City leader Carrie Lam's annual address is suspended as legislators project slogans and wave placards.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has been forced to suspend her annual address after being heckled in parliament.

Opposition lawmakers disrupted the Legislative Council session by shouting and projecting slogans behind her.

After a first interruption, the session resumed only to be interrupted again. It was then suspended - and Ms Lam delivered the address by video instead.

It means the extradition bill - the trigger for months of protests - could not be withdrawn formally.

The bill was suspended in July, but Wednesday's meeting was the first time the Legislative Council (Legco) had resumed since it was stormed by protesters in July, and was the first opportunity to withdraw the bill altogether.

But as Chief Executive Lam was about to begin her speech, opposition lawmakers began shouting and climbing on tables.

They also projected the words "Five demands - not one less" on the wall behind her. Since the protests began, they have widened from rallies against the bill to five key demands - including universal suffrage.

Opposition lawmaker Tanya Chan said Ms Lam was to blame for the Hong Kong's troubles.

"Both her hands are soaked with blood," she said. "We hope Carrie Lam withdraws and quits. She has no governance ability. She is not suitable to be chief executive."

It was the first time a Hong Kong chief executive had been unable to deliver a policy address in the chamber.

Pro-establishment lawmakers condemned the interruption of the session - saying the address was important for Hong Kong's economic future.

After the assembly was suspended, a pre-recorded speech was made available on the Legco website instead.

In the address, Ms Lam stressed her commitment to "one country, two systems" - the parallel political system introduced in Hong Kong after British rule ended - and said calls for Hong Kong independence would not be tolerated.

She announced several housing and infrastructure policies, saying housing was the most urgent issue the city faces.

In a news conference after the address, Ms Lam rejected claims that her speech ignored the demands of the protest movement.

But she said it was not the time to consider voting reform, while insisting Hong Kong did have freedom of speech and freedom of the press without Chinese interference.

The developments came just hours after Hong Kong protesters won a show of support from US lawmakers, who passed a bill aimed at upholding human rights in the city.


'Other leaders might have faced them down'

Carrie Lam hoped this moment might signal the beginning of the end for Hong Kong's political crisis.

The cover page of her policy address was bright blue, she said, to represent the clear skies ahead. But the first full session of Hong Kong's parliament since it was stormed by protesters in July was cut short.

Other leaders in other places might have faced them down. But Hong Kong's limited form of democracy doesn't produce that kind of pugilistic politician, able to appeal over the heads of opponents to the public at large.

Which is of course the central point at the heart of the deep divisions splitting this society apart.

The tightly-managed political system seen as a source of stability and strength by supporters - like the ruling Communist Party in Beijing - is seen as a threat and a fundamental weakness for those taking to the streets to argue against it.


What are the Hong Kong protests about?

Hong Kong is part of China but, as a former British colony, has some autonomy and people have more rights.

The protests started in June against plans to allow extradition to the mainland - which many feared would undermine the city's freedoms and judicial independence.

The government in September promised the bill would be withdrawn once parliament resumed but demonstrations continued.

Demands have since widened into five key demands:

Don't characterise the protests as "riots"

Amnesty for arrested activists

An independent inquiry into alleged police brutality

Implementation of complete universal suffrage

Withdrawal of the extradition bill

In a conversation with the EU representative in Hong Kong earlier this week, Ms Lam reportedly ruled out even debating
universal suffrage in the current climate.

Protests have taken place every weekend over the past month and in every district, causing widespread disruption.

Clashes between police and activists have become increasingly violent, with police firing live bullets and protesters attacking officers and throwing petrol bombs.

Ms Lam's address was scheduled just days after Chinese President Xi Jinping said any attempt to divide China would end in "bodies smashed and bones ground to powder" - comments seen as an implicit warning to Hong Kong.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×