Hong Kong protesters vow more demonstrations despite extradition bill being declared ‘dead’

Activists in Hong Kong vowed to continue public demonstrations despite the territory’s leader declaring a controversial extradition bill that sparked the protests “dead,” according to The Associated Press.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Tuesday reportedly announced that the bill, which would have allowed the extradition of some Hong Kong residents to the Chinese mainland, was “dead” after weeks of protests estimated to have reached millions of people at points.

{mosads}However, protest organizers said her pronouncement was not sufficient and did not constitute a full withdrawal, according to the AP.

“We cannot find the word ‘dead’ in any of the laws in Hong Kong or in any legal proceedings in the Legislative Council,” protest organizers Jimmy Sham and Bonnie Leung said in statements, the news service noted.

“So how can the government tell us that we should preserve our rule of law, when [Lam] herself does not use the principle of the rule of law,” they added.

Leung and Sham also reportedly condemned Lam for not directly speaking to protesters throughout the demonstrations.

“The young protesters have been out in the street outside her house, outside government headquarters, for weeks, roaring to be heard,” Leung said.

Lam announced in June that the bill would be suspended. But that failed to quell the protests, as organizers continued to call for its full withdrawal and said they were also protesting heavy-handed police tactics to disperse the gatherings.

Demonstrators have called for an independent probe into police tactics and for Lam’s resignation. Lam has said she will not resign her office, according to Reuters.

“It is not a simple thing for CE [chief executive] to step down, and I myself still have the passion and undertaking to service Hong Kong people,” she said, according to the news service.