From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Foreign Ministry issues travel advisory for Hong Kong
The Foreign Ministry issues a traveling advisory for Israelis traveling to Hong Kong amid growing political unrest in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
The ministry advises Israeli travelers to be alert; listen to the instructions of local law enforcement; pay attention to the news; stay updated on possible flight changes; and to avoid crowds and conflict areas.
It also reminds Israelis of the new ban on facial coverings.
Hong Kong has been battered by 18 consecutive weekends of unrest, fanned by widespread public anger over Chinese rule and the police response to protests.
The rallies were ignited by a now-scrapped plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, which fueled fears of an erosion of liberties promised under the 50-year “one country, two systems” model China agreed to ahead of the 1997 handover by Britain.
After Beijing and local leaders took a hard stance, the demonstrations snowballed into a wider movement calling for more democratic freedoms and police accountability.
The worst clashes to date erupted last week as China celebrated 70 years of Communist Party rule, with a teenager shot and wounded by police as he attacked an officer.
— with AFP
The Times of Israel Community.