Thread by @HongKongFP

A large number of protesters have packed Causeway Bay's East Point Road an hour ahead of the Civil Human Rights Front's 3pm protest march from Victoria Park to Central.

Photo: May James / HKFP.

Sunday's march is the first organised by the Civil Human Rights Front in months to receive #HongKong police approval. Police called on participants to stay peaceful.

Over the months, police often banned marches and cancelled rally approvals last-minute.

Photo: May James / HKFP.

The police approval letter for Sunday's march lasts from 12-6pm for the gathering in Victoria Park's grass lawn, and from 3-10pm for the march to Central's Chater Road.

Police say they will only open three Hennessy Road carriage-lanes plus the tramways.

Photo: May James / HKFP.

Stand News spoke to a lone protester waiting in Victoria Park's grass lawn who flew over from Japan in support of #HongKong's movement, after reading about it on the news.

Photo: Stand News.

At Wanchai's Southorn Playground, a large number of protesters wearing "LIHKG pig", Pepe and other character masks wait to join the march - possibly mid-way.

The High Court has ruled the mask ban unconstitutional, but the government is appealing.

Photo: Stand News. #HongKong

The starting point for Sunday's approved protest march - Victoria Park grass lawn - is beginning to fill up with protesters at 2pm, an hour before the starting time.

Photo: NowTV screenshot. #HongKong

Apart from Japan, a group of Korean protesters planning to join the march have also been spotted in Victoria Park.

Photo: Screenshot via Civil Human Rights Front. #HongKong

Police raise the black flag towards protesters gathering on the streets of Causeway Bay, threatening tear gas, although some of the officers do not appear to have put on their masks.

Photo: NowTV screenshot. #hongkong

USP reported the police raised the black flag earlier in response to being insulted by some protesters going to Victoria Park, and officers have removed their own gas masks by 2:40pm.

Photo: Benjamin Yuen / USP. #hongkong

A large riot police presence of hundreds, if not thousands, stands by in various spots Causeway Bay and Wanchai.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

Protesters wearing Pepe and LIHKG pig-themed masks gather in Causeway Bay.

Photo: Stand News. #hongkong

Hennessy Road has already been occupied by thousands of protesters before the sanctions start of the march at 3pm.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

The march from Victoria Park has begun punctually at 3pm, with tens of thousands more waiting in the neighbouring streets.

Photo: Apple Daily screenshot. #hongkong

"If we cannot win this battle, it will be very disappointing. Maybe we will move to other countries,” said Rose, a protester. “I think Carrie Lam will punish us and all of us will have to pay for it in the future," she added when asked if protesters can win.

#hongkong

The size of the crowd on Hennessy Road waiting for the march to reach the main Causeway Bay thoroughfare has swelled.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

🔴HKFP_Live: The Civil Human Rights Front’s first approved march in months has begun from Victoria Park: facebook.com/hongkongfp/vid…

#hongkong

Civil Human Rights Front convenor Jimmy Sham told the media that the group has placed multiple prefects and first aid stations along the march route, and called on the police to exercise restraint so as to allow the march to go on peacefully.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

Protesters in Pepe masks “eat” a packet of life bread, to satirise the police’s earlier jibe against those stuck in PolyU that they could only eat bread while officers eat hotpot in Shenzhen.

Photo: Jimmy Lam / USP. #hongkong

An aerial view of the protests at 3pm from near SOGO, Causeway Bay.

Photo: Stand News. #hongkong

With police not intervening in the protesters’ occupation of all six Hennessy Road lanes, the march has been able to go ahead at a moderate pace — without slowing to a crawl — as of 3:30pm.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

With the theme of the march being World Human Rights Day, a speaker at the Civil Human Rights Front’s vehicle reminds the crowds — in between protest slogans — of the abuses in China, including against rights lawyers, Uyghurs and Tibetans.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

“Stand with Uyghurs, Stand with #HongKong”, chants the speaker from the Civil Human Rights Front’s vehicle during the march.

Photo: HKFP.

By 3:30pm, the pace of the march in Causeway Bay has slowed to a halt, though in Wanchai — the front of the march — it continues at a moderate pace.

A speaker in Causeway Bay announces that at least 100,000 are waiting in Victoria Park alone.

Photo: May James / HKFP.

Protesters visit “yellow” pro-democracy restaurants and cafes along the route of the march.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

A marcher raises awareness of the detention of Uyghurs by referring to Feroza Aziz’s Tiktok video, in which the teenager explained the issues whole disguising the video on the Chinese app as an explainer for making longer eyelashes.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

By 4pm, marchers in Causeway Bay have been waiting to move for some 30 mins due to the large size of the crowd.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

Taunts are exchanged between protesters and police on the Wanchai Computer City footbridge.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

Crowds also formed in MTR stations waiting for trains in order to arrive at the protest route on Sunday.

Photo: Tam Ming Keung / USP. #hongkong

Crowds stuck on the Hennessy Road carriageways outside Victoria Park have stretched all the way to Tin Hau by 3:45pm.

Photo: Apple Daily. #hongkong

Many speakers at the street booths along Hennessy Road, including those of the Labour Party, call on marchers to set up labour unions, and explain the processes.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #HongKong

The front of the march reached Admiralty’s Pacific Place shortly before 4:30pm. Meanwhile, large crowds are still waiting in Causeway Bay and Victoria Park.

Photo: Apple Daily screenshot. #hongkong

Tens of thousands of marchers arrive near the endpoint in Central shortly after 4:30pm.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

A man is taken away in an ambulance after he appeared to injure his head near the protest endpoint in Central.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

A set of three banners reads: “Yesterday’s Xinjiang and Tibet, today’s Hong Kong,, tomorrow’s Taiwan”.

Photo: Apple Daily. #hongkong

The end point of the march in Central is packed with leaving protesters at 4:50pm.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

Black-clad protesters are telling each other to retreat from the riot police cordon on Des Voeux Road Central as demonstrators from the authorised march continue to arrive.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

The police water cannon vehicle is spotted on standby at Central’s Exchange Square shortly before 5pm.

Photo: Telegram. #hongkong

A riot police cordon prevents protesters from marching further west from Des Vœux Road Central.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

Protesters urge eachother to retreat as the water cannon truck is spotted in Central. #hongkong #hongkongprotests #antiELAB #china The atmosphere at the endpoint remains tense but peaceful.

Protesters keep an eye on the water cannon truck in the distance and hand out plastic ponchos to eachother. #hongkong #hongkongprotests #china

A chain of “LIHKG pigs” is graffitied onto tram station advertisements in Central.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

The last protesters from Victoria Park are reportedly leaving at 5pm. Many continue to join the march from side streets along the route.

Photo: May James / HKFP.

Police reportedly raised the black flag in Causeway Bay’s Patterson Street after 5pm, warning of tear gas. Some protesters formed an umbrella “testudo” formation.

Photo: iCable screenshot. #hongkong

Despite tens of thousands having completed the march and left at Central, the Causeway Bay section of Hennessy Road remains packed at 5:20pm.

Photo: iCable screenshot. #hongkong

Riot police again raised the black flag threatening tear gas near Admiralty Centre, despite no protesters attempting to march along the route to the Government Headquarters. Officers do not appear to wear gas masks.

Photo: Jimmy Lam / USP. #hongkong

Protesters set up makeshift recycling booths along the route of the march.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

Despite tense moments and exchanges of insults between police and protesters, Sunday’s massive protest march has remained completely peaceful so far as dusk nears.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

Filipino-Hong Kong busker Oliver Ma — famous for singing Glory to Hong Kong while surrounded by police — is playing protest songs for departing marchers at the endpoint in Central.

Photo: InMedia. #HongKong

Riot police continue to prevent marchers from going outside of the approved route in Causeway Bay despite huge crowds moving slowly at dusk. Apple Daily reported that legislator Kwok Ka-ki was rebuffed with foul language when he tried to negotiate with police.

Photo: Apple Daily

Infants, elderly and people with physical injuries all joined Sunday’s massive World Human Rights Day march on Hong Kong Island, so far a peaceful affair.

Photo: Jimmy Lam / USP; May James / HKFP. #hongkong #HongKongProtests #china #antiELAB

“Do not forget your original motivations just because of a small victory,” reads a graffitied passage on the Central tramway.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

In Central, some protesters wear raincoats in case they are doused by water cannon, with temperatures falling to a minimum of 13 degrees Celsius later in the night. However, they are not moving forward to engage the riot police cordon.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

The back-end of the massive Sunday protest march is finally making its way past Causeway Bay’s SOGO shopping mall shortly before 6:30pm.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

At 6:30pm, a few people dressed in black were detained in Causeway Bay as riot police arrived. Minor vandalism and road blocking had taken place beforehand, though the main march continues in the vicinity.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

One of the men searched in Causeway Bay appears to have been arrested.

Photo: HK01 screenshot. #hongkong

A stand-off is taking place between riot police and protesters on Central's Des Voeux Road Central, with insults exchanged, at 6:50pm.

Photo: RTHK; Benjamin Yuen / USP. #hongkong

In Wanchai, a Starbucks branch has been vandalised, and a "renovation notice" put up says it is accused of spreading propaganda and fake news. The daughter of the founder of its #HongKong franchise owner Maxim's is an outspoken supporter of police and Beijing.

Photo: Stand News.

The police-protester standoff on Des Voeux Road Central continues, as tens of thousands continue to stream into Central from the ongoing march in Causeway Bay and Wanchai.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

Some of the riot police on standby in Central and exchanging insults with protesters are wielding MP5 and AR15 semiautomatic rifles.

Photo: Stand News. #hongkong

There are reports that police are searching selected passengers of buses and the Star Ferry out of Hong Kong Island, as large numbers of protesters leave after the end of the march.

Photo: Telegram. #hongkong

Protesters continue to stream into Admiralty from the east in the evening, as Sunday's march shows little sign of ending soon. The Civil Human Rights Front's letter of no objection expires at 10pm.

Photo: Tam Ming Keung / USP. #hongkong

A closed Hong Kong MTR Station exit on Des Voeux Road Central has also been vandalised, as trash is pushed onto its steps.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

After trying to mediate the police-protester disputes in Causeway Bay, Civic Party legislator Kwok Ka-ki is now trying to speak with the police at the stand-off in Central.

Photo: Apple Daily screenshot. #hongkong

🔴HKFP_Live: With most protesters having completed Sunday’s march, increasing numbers of riot police are converging in Central, where a standoff continues: facebook.com/hongkongfp/vid…

#hongkong

Frontline protesters are setting up increasingly elaborate barricades on Des Voeux Road Central as riot police begin to converge upon the designated end of the march.

Photo: May James / HKFP. #hongkong

Police have raised the blue flag warning of an illegal assembly towards the protesters occupying Des Voeux Road Central in response.

Photo: RTHK screenshot. #hongkong

Civil Human Rights Front vice-convenor Figo Chan has arrived in Central to complain about the heavy police deployment, adding that the letter of no objection is meant to be valid until 10pm.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong

Sometime during the march, an entrance to the Court of Final Appeal was vandalised, while a fire was briefly lit at an entrance to the High Court. Protesters have criticised the judiciary for harsh recent bail decisions.

Photo: Kaiser / USP. #hongkong

Social media “scouting” channels have suggested that the police is beginning to surround Central on three sides, except the east, from which protesters are continuing their approved march.

Photo: HKFP. #hongkong