Hong Kong airport authority cancels flights over protests

International Desk: Hong Kong’s Airport Authority has cancelled all departure flights not yet checked in by Monday afternoon, after thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators flooded into the airport holding signs reading “Hong Kong is not safe” and “Shame on police”.

“Other than departure flights that have completed the check-in process and the arrival flights already heading to Hong Kong, all other flights have been cancelled for the rest of today,” the authority said in a statement.

Traffic on roads to the airport was very congested and car park spaces were full, the authority said, on the fourth day of a mass demonstration there.

As street protests across the Chinese territory stretched into their 10th week on Monday with no sign of either side backing down, China vehemently criticised violence by protesters who had thrown petrol bombs at police officers and linked them to “terrorism”.

Rights groups and democracy activists accused police of using excessive force after teargas was fired into an enclosed subway station and officers posed as protesters before making arrests during an intense weekend of clashes.

Agencies

risingbd/Dhaka/Aug 12, 2019/Nasim