Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s Leader, Retreats, but Her Critics Want More – The New York Times

Jeffrey Chan, a 19-year-old student, said he intended to go to the protest on Sunday. “I hope the government will directly withdraw this law, and not push ahead with it at any later time,” Mr. Chan said.

Not everyone in Hong Kong, however, was dismayed with Mrs. Lam’s actions. Starry Lee, a pro-establishment lawmaker of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, said that she understood and supported the suspension of the bill.

“We strongly condemn those who disturb the social order and support the police to fearlessly fulfill their responsibility of maintaining public order and protecting the lives of citizens,” Ms. Lee said.

The Chinese government said it expressed its “support, respect, and understanding” of the Hong Kong government’s decision, adding that it would “continue to firmly support” Mrs. Lam.

Johnnie Sheng, a young Taiwanese man, said he had traveled to Hong Kong for this Sunday’s march because the stakes of the bill extended beyond the city.

“What happens here, after a year or maybe two, will happen in Taiwan,” he said, referring to concerns that China might encroach on the island’s legal system somehow. “People say it is not my business, but we’re near China, and this could happen in Taiwan.”