As anti-government protests continue in Hong Kong, protestors have enlisted a new tactic: cutting down facial recognition towers. The protests began in March and droves have since been fighting an extradition bill which would allow local authorities to detain and extradite people who are wanted in territories that do not have extradition agreements with Hong Kong.
Facial recognition has become an increasingly popular tool for police in Hong Kong, with nearly 700 people arrested since the start — mostly for unlawful assembly.
Protestors in Hong Kong are cutting down facial recognition towers. pic.twitter.com/bTvb8uis7V
— Jordan Sather (@Jordan_Sather_) August 24, 2019
Previously, when protestors showed up in mass numbers at the Hong Kong Airport, they forced the cancellation of many flights and used laser pointers to combat the use of facial recognition technology. With some protestors sharing an image to apologize to travelers for the inconvenience the situation has caused.
【Sorry for inconvenience. HK is sick.】
1. We would like to sincerely apologize for all inconvenience caused by the peaceful demonstration at the HK International Airport. pic.twitter.com/jduMrjBh4I
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) August 14, 2019
When tensions reignited over the weekend, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam expressed a desire to open a line of dialogue.
"I don't expect that dialogue will be able to easily untangle this knot, stop the demonstrations, or provide a solution to the problem," Lam wrote on Facebook on Saturday. "But continuing to fight is not a way out. After more than two months, everyone is tired. Can we sit down and talk about it?"
While Hong Kong's government has shelved the bill, it is not officially dead. The government suspended the legislation in June in response to the protest but hasn't withdrawn it entirely.
The movements demand have shifted since its beginning, now including calls to investigate excessive police violence during demonstrations and an overall more transparent and open government.