via hongkongfp:
Hong Kong’s government has cancelled an annual October 1 fireworks display to mark National Day citing public safety concerns.
“In view of the latest situation and having regard to public safety, the National Day Fireworks Display originally scheduled to take place at Victoria Harbour in the evening of October 1 (Tuesday) will be cancelled,” the Leisure and Cultural Services Department wrote in a statement on Wednesday.
The fireworks display at Victoria Harbour was last cancelled in 2014 because of the large-scale Occupy protests, as well as in 2013 because of the Lamma ferry tragedy the year before.
The upcoming National Day celebrations which include a flag-raising event will mark 70 years of the People’s Republic of China. However, a pro-democracy protest is usually held on the same day.
Hong Kong has been convulsed by 15 consecutive weeks of protests, sparked by a soon-to-be-withdrawn extradition bill which would have allowed case-by-case fugitive transfers to China. The unrest has since morphed into sometimes violent displays of dissent over Beijing’s encroachment, democracy, alleged police brutality, surveillance and other community grievances.