Hong Kong protests: Scale of the march in photos

16 June 2019

Organisers say two million people have turned out for a demonstration in Hong Kong, the latest large protest against a controversial extradition bill.

But what did the protests look like on the ground?

We collated images taken within a short time of each other that show the extent of the crowds in Hong Kong on Sunday.

A map shows the numbers one to eight on a plan of Hong Kong, stretching from the east to the west across the city

The numbered photographs below correspond to map locations - all taken while the crowd snaked through the city.

Victoria Park - rally point

This sweeping panorama of Hong Kong, overlooking Victoria park, shows hundreds if not thousands of people staged for the march in the morning or early afternoon.

Getty Images

Taken shortly before the official start of the march at 14:30 local time, this was the staging area for the crowds. More arrived for hours, as train stations were overcrowded and people could not reach the city.

It took hours for the park to mostly clear - but more than four hours later, there remained a steady stream of dozens leaving the area to catch the march's tail.

Paterson Street

The street can no longer be seen beneath the heaving crowd in this shot of a light rail station, the ring and arches of its architecture visible above them

EPA

The recognisable ring at the base of Paterson Street light rail station is seen here - as the crowds from Victoria Park surged along Yee Wo Street towards Hennessy Road, which formed the main route.

Sogo, Hennessy Road

The Sogo deparment store, left, can be seen amid the huge crowd as the road parts in a V shape behind them

AFP

The Sogo department store at Causeway bay lies at the junction of Yee Wo Street and three side streets - a natural converging point for the crowds. Police largely left the nearby adjoining streets along the route open the crowds.

Hysan Place

This shot from a building rooftop shows a converging V-shaped junction at the corner of a building - and huge crowds stretching off in either direction, even off the main route

EPA

Hysan Place, just down the road from Sogo, shows the crowds stretching off in multiple directions. At times, the sheer number of people on the route slowed the pace to a crawl. This photograph was taken more than two hours after the march began - just 500 metres from the starting point.

Looking back towards Canal Road flyover

A woman stands on a rooftop taking a photo of the crowd below in this artistic composition

Getty Images

The shadow of the Canal Road flyover can be seen just at the top of this photograph, as the march continued down the main thoroughfare.

Hennessy Road near Wan Chai

A narrow strip of green - presumably part of the light rail system - cuts the surging crowd in two in this aerial shot

Getty

Wan Chai, the busy commercial district, was next. This street usually accommodates two to three lanes of traffic in both directions, plus the light rail system down the centre – but not on Sunday.

Admiralty - remembrance held

A queue of people dressed in black lay flowers at this site on a busy Hong Kong street

Getty Images

This photo was taken earlier in the day, as well-wishers formed a long but orderly queue at Pacific Place to lay flowers at the site where a protester died the night before. The man fell from scaffolding he had climbed and stayed on for hours, after unfurling a banner against the extradition law. The march would later wind around the area, known as the Admiralty, before heading for government buildings.

Legislative council complex - rally end point

A man in a yellow sun visor and wearing what looks like a gas mask looks at teh camera, while behind him a large crowd of

Reuters

The first arrivals at the legislative buildings - the rally's end point - came not long after the march began. But those behind them took hours to navigate streets that were filled to capacity, with crowd control in effect at train stations. Large crowds were still present on the city's central streets well after nightfall.

Photographs are subject to copyright of the relevant agencies.