Hong Kong debate suspended after object thrown

Two pro-democracy lawmakers were ejected from Hong Kong's legislative chamber on Thursday morning, disrupting start of second day of debate on a contentious bill that would criminalize insulting or abusing Chinese national anm.

Council President Andrew Leung suspended meeting for a third time after Democratic Party legislator Ted Hui Chi-fung threw an object in his direction.

Hui was marched out of chamber and Legislative Council staff covered debris.

Earlier, Leung suspended meeting minutes after it began and ejected lawmaker Eddie Chu for holding up a sarcastic placard reing: "Best Chairperson, Starry Lee."

Lee was recently elected chair of a key committee that sent anm bill to full legislature for consideration. Her election, which pro-democracy opposition contends was illegal, ended a months-long filibuster that h prevented committee from acting on bill.

Chu was carried out by security guards, even as fellow pro-democracy lawmakers protested his removal and tried to stop it. Outside chamber, he said Leung h objected to his placard Wednesday that called Lee an “illegal chairperson” and so he me a new one that called her best chairperson inste.

After meeting restarted, a second pro-democracy lawmaker, Ray Chan, started yelling as Leung explained his decision to remove Chu, and legislative president suspended meeting again and ordered Chan ejected, too.

Or pro-democracy lawmakers surrounded Chan, who n hid under a table, as security officers tried to remove him. He was eventually carried out by officers.

(Representative Im)