Hong Kong protest anniversary muted by weary and wary public

Arrests discourage demonstrations, while activists seek new forms of dissent

Protesters gesture with five fingers, signifying the "Five demands - not one less" in a shopping mall during a protest in Hong Kong on June 9, 2020. A year on from the start of anti-government protests, the leader said that all sides should learn from the difficulties and challenging times over the past year. © AP

MICHELLE CHAN, Nikkei staff writer

June 9, 2020 16:04 JST

Updated on June 9, 2020 21:14 JST

HONG KONG -- Kelly, a 35-year-old homemaker, and her two daughters were among the 1 million Hong Kong citizens who took to the streets one year ago, protesting a bill that would have let people in the former British colony be extradited to mainland China for trial in the country's notoriously opaque judicial system.

One-seventh of the city's population braved the sweltering heat and marched for almost eight hours on June 9, 2019. They carried a sense of hope, symbolized by their white dress code, that the peaceful rally could pressure Hong Kong's government to rethink its proposal.