Activist Joshua Wong, who has become the face of Hong Kong’s push for full democracy, walked free from prison on Monday and vowed to join a mass protest movement demanding that the city’s Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam, steps down.
His release comes as a political crisis in the Chinese-ruled city enters its second week, amid growing uncertainty over the fate of current Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and a controversial extradition bill she postponed at the weekend.
Protest organizers said almost 2 million people turned out on Sunday (June 16) to demand that Lam resign, in what is becoming the most significant challenge to China’s relationship with the territory since it was handed back by Britain 22 years ago