Vigils have been held in Hong Kong to commemorate the victims of the Urumqi fire and to show solidarity with anti-lockdown protests taking places across China.
Ten people died in the Chinese city of Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang region, when a fire broke out in a high-rise building on Thursday night.
Protesters have attributed the death toll in part to the Chinese government’s zero-Covid policy, which has seen many in Xinjiang and elsewhere confined to their homes for prolonged periods – though the government rejects the claim.
Monday evening saw dozens gather in Hong Kong’s central business district and on the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Photos showed people holding flowers and placing candles to spell out the date on which the fire took place.
Others could be seen holding up blank pieces of paper, which have become symbols of dissent in Hong Kong since the authorities banned slogans and phrases associated with protest movements.
Hong Kong has seen intermittent demonstrations in recent years after laws were introduced reducing its autonomy from the government in Beijing and making it easier to prosecute protesters.
