Photos: Massive Protests in Hong Kong

Organizers claim that more than 1 million demonstrators took to the streets to denounce a proposed bill that would allow extradition to China and undercut Hong Kong’s independence.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters shut down parts of Hong Kong yesterday, marching against a proposed law that would allow extradition to China. Organizers claim that more than 1 million demonstrators took to the streets to denounce the proposal, the largest such public demonstration in years. The city’s pro-Beijing leadership is showing no signs of backing down. As reported by the Associated Press, opponents in Hong Kong say the proposed changes “would significantly compromise [Hong Kong’s] legal independence, long viewed as one of its key distinctions from mainland China.”