The central government strongly condemned the "blatant and organized" riot that erupted in the heart of Hong Kong on Wednesday, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

Geng Shuang made the remarks at a news briefing in response to violent clashes in Admiralty, Hong Kong island, where tens of thousands of masked protesters besieged the Legislative Council Complex and repeatedly charged police cordons.

The riot forced Hong Kong's legislature to postpone the second reading of the city's extradition-law amendment bill.

Citing statements made by Hong Kong officials in the past two days, Geng stressed that the chaos in Admiralty was "blatant and organized."

The central government strongly denounces any violent actions, and supports the special administrative region government's effort to tackle the issue in accordance with the law, Geng said.

Any acts that jeopardize Hong Kong's stability and prosperity runs counter to mainstream public opinion and are intolerable in any civilized society, he added.

Political and social organizations in Hong Kong also condemned the violent protest.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the largest political party in the city's legislature, said the acts of the radical protesters crossed the line regarding their exercise of freedoms of speech and expression.

DAB called on all sectors of society to condemn the illegal acts, as they seriously threatened the safety of Hong Kong people and disrupted law and order in the city.

The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong (CMA), one of the city's largest industrial associations, also voiced strong condemnation of the riot.

The riot seriously affected the operation of businesses in Admiralty and caused a negative impact on the business environment in Hong Kong, the CMA said in a statement.

It stressed that violence breaches Hong Kong's core values, and called on all sectors to express their opinions rationally.

Contact the writers at mollychen@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 06/14/2019 page5)