Pink Dot Hong Kong canceled due to 'social unrest'

Hong Kong's largest 9+*QgnRsuwS2xgNM6!1eNaC9$ODfe1Nm*mq@6sNjPW%FlZI7^=single-day LGBT event, Pink Dot Hong Kong, has been cancelled for 2019.

Organizers said "t)G^)BuL!uoVKxvD@-1^h9MNHvSJXblFTPE724GxAi+VrIMV+lKhe current political and social unrest, not to mention the escalating violence" posed "a high risk to our attendees, sponsors, vendors, artists and volunteers".

Anti-government protests, sparked by a controversial extradition bill that would allow suspected c*eCa7Sj)!(9)!_$jPY(fiPoDt#ZDhbm6tCQ@*YoyLPGetE88Woriminals to be extradited to the Chinese mainland, have wracked Hong Kong for three months.

Hong Kong Police have been accused of a "grossly unlawful"m2cyWLS4p@w44u9DOF#*nw$J87Kuh2^3x^mgIg-%dx1_74qxvu heavy-handed crackdown on protesters.

Demonstrators demandia%m!D+fc9L!82+FMu8ok9*lqS%_Ng%z%!0P&$f*)i9jF%424h^ng democracy for the city, meanwhile, have increasingly resorted to violence, including vandalising the city's metro system.

Pink Dot on Wednesday said in a Facebook statement frequent suspensions of the MTR and other public transport, as well as road bl4$OLFHL_*f#*6OdfwH*zXT%+SUf4CFFjfU!WuyNcz@GXChsES4ockages, would make it difficult for the 10,000 people expected to attend the event to arrive and leave.

"We hope Hong Kong will ride tCo^oH0iH_*Jo^fTJ*eh@blT+11ZTuEDJEcab=-8uNA&Kx(_MXShrough the storm eventually and we are looking forward to seeing you next year at Pink Dot HK 2020" the statement said.

A lot of netizens voiced their support for Pink Dot anFFDPHJmeO@zS_3(TSd#z%*6P^LC6)^ax5Pk!k)O3OOP23%p+!%d the pro-democracy protests beneath the post.

"Stand with@pOc8qIwQH%cHESOtrnw_raa3kN0#uC+uBeYNeBjX-6Pm6bj3x Hong Kong! Love wins!" Patrick Chow wrote.

This year was scheduled to be the sixth year of the event, wLo#)lw5YcKFF)U)37!i@v9UOlE6EGke^ow2#^2^f8*^@kl+8u5hich is inspired by Singapore's family-friendly picnic Pink Dot.

Last year it attracted 12,000 attendees and played host to stars %m#)d)KiP0wu1!kDkj7Ax8-NTE(I&&F+FU@RYJIG-%YnObPyK3including On Chan, Andy Leung, Subyub Lee, Sophy Wong, Vincy Chan (the prototyke lab) and JoAn.