Tens of thousands gather in Hong Kong to voice support for police and pro-Beijing government, in a sign of sharp divide prevailing in Chinese autonomous territory after weeks of anti-government protests .
Pro-government rally, called"Safeguard Hong Kong," comes ahead of another protest planned against the government's handling of the now-suspended extradition bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China for trial.
"Friends who used violence say they love Hong Kong too, but we absolutely cannot approve of their way of expressing themselves," said Sunny Wong, 42, who works in insurance.Hong Kong has been rocked by more than a month of huge and largely peaceful protests, as well as a series of separate violent confrontations with police, sparked by a proposed law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China and other countries.
A 60-year-old woman surnamed Leung said protesters who stormed and vandalised the legislature earlier this month must be held responsible for their acts.Police estimated a turnout of 103,000 people at the peak of the rally, while local media cited organisers as saying 316,000 attended.
Police insist their crowd control responses have been proportionate and point to injured officers as proof that a hardcore minority of protesters mean them harm. While the pro-government protests have mustered decent crowds, they have paled in comparison with the huge pro-democracy marches that have regularly drawn hundreds of thousands of people.
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