China has condemned hundreds of violent demonstrators who stormed and trashed Hong Kong’s parliament on Monday of “trampling the rule of law” and “undermining social order”.

The criticism came hours after police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, who are furious about proposed legislation allowing extraditions to China.

Demonstrators were also heavily criticised by Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam for what she called “lawless violent acts” which “seriously impact on the core values of Hong Kong’s rule of law”.

Here is what you need to know about the unrest, which follows weeks of demonstrations against the polarising bill.

Why Did Protesters Storm Parliament?

Millions of people have taken to the streets in the past few weeks to protest against the now-suspended extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China to face trial in courts controlled by the Communist Party.

However, the latest violence comes after weeks of peaceful protest across the Hong Kong, which became a Chinese territory after Britain’s lease of the New Territories, north of Hong Kong, expired in 1997.

On Monday, demonstrators had a standoff with Hong Kong police, blocking roads and attacking police with unknown liquids. 

The deadlock reached breaking point at noon when protesters – many wearing hard hats, face masks and black shirts – smashed the glass walls of the Legislative Council building and attacked police with toxic chemical powder. 

They broke into the building later and vandalised it by pulling down portraits and spray-painting slogans.

The violence, carried out by mostly masked youths, was on a scale that stunned the city. Thirteen police officers were taken to hospital after they were splashed with unidentified liquids during clashes.

Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu said they had broken several laws, including, possession of offensive weapons and unauthorised entry, adding that those responsible face at least three months in prison.

Lam contrasted Monday’s tumultuous events with the annual peaceful march on July 1, in which about 165,000 people showed up to support the local police, which she said reflected the core values of peace and order in Hong Kong. She also stressed the importance of maintaining the rule of law in Hong Kong.

What Is The Extradition Bill About?

The proposed changes would allow for extradition requests from authorities in mainland China, Taiwan and Macau for suspects accused of criminal wrongdoings, such as murder and rape. The requests will then be decided on a case-by-case basis.

It comes after a 19-year-old Hong Kong man allegedly murdered his 20-year-old pregnant girlfriend while they were holidaying in Taiwan together in February last year. 

He then fled back to Hong Kong and could not be extradited to Taiwan because no extradition treaty exists between the two countries.

Hong Kong currently limits extraditions to jurisdictions with which it has existing agreements and to others on an individual basis.

China has been excluded from those agreements because of concerns over its judicial independence and human rights record.

Why Is It So Controversial?

The proposal has heightened fears of eroding freedoms in the territory, which Britain returned to China on July 1 1997, under a “one country, two systems” formula that allows freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China.

This includes the freedom to protest, and an independent judiciary.

Lawyers and rights groups say China’s justice system is marked by torture, forced confessions and arbitrary detention. China has been angered by Western criticism of the bill.

The bill has also triggered a backlash against Lam. Business, diplomatic and legal communities fear the Hong Kong’s legal autonomy will be threatened, in addition to the difficulty of guaranteeing a fair trial in China.

Lam, Hong Kong’s self-styled Iron Lady, has created a fresh crisis for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is already grappling with a trade war with Washington, a faltering economy and tension in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, Chinese censors blocked news of the Hong Kong protests, wary that any large public rallies could inspire protests on the mainland.

Screens went black on the BBC and CNN when they showed related reports in mainland China, as has happened during previous Hong Kong protests.

A state newspaper in China called for “zero tolerance” after the violence in Hong Kong, while on Chinese social media, the protests generated lively discussion, Reuters reported.

What Now?

Lam has suspended the bill indefinitely and said it would lapse next year, but protesters want it scrapped altogether and have pressed her to step down.

Opposition figure Joshua Wong acknowledged that the damage to the legislative offices has drawn criticism from some sectors in Hong Kong, the Associated Press reported.

But he said mass participation in marches and rallies over previous weeks showed there was a groundswell of support for the demonstrators’ goals of demanding more accountability from the administration. 

“I understand people in Hong Kong and around the world might not 100% agree or disagree on all of the behaviour of protesters… but all of the requests have been ignored. So, is there any way out?” Wong said.

Lam is “not capable as leader anymore” and should resign, he added.

Regina Ip, chairwoman of Hong Kong’s pro-China New People’s Party, said the protests had brought shame on Hong Kong.

“In the long term, (this) will impact Hong Kong’s business environment. I believe various negative consequences of damages in our economy and prosperity will soon emerge.”

How Has Britain Reacted?

On Tuesday, Downing Street sent a strongly worded message to China not to use protests in Hong Kong as a “pretext for oppression”.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “We are very concerned about the violence we have seen on all sides during the protests.

“We want to see protests conducted in a peaceful manner in accordance with the law.

“We urge the authorities not to use last night’s events as a pretext for oppression, but to address the deep-seated concern by the people of Hong Kong that their basic freedoms are under attack.”

Officials in Beijing urged the UK to “know its place and stop meddling in Hong Kong affairs” after Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Britain will remain “unwavering” in its support for the territory.

China has dismissed Britain’s concerns in the past, saying it no longer had any say in what goes on in Hong Kong.