The Government said the public procession on Hong Kong Island today was generally smooth and orderly, with the majority of participants expressing their views in a lawful, peaceful and rational manner.

In a statement, the Government asserted it has all along respected people's rights and freedoms to participate in peaceful processions and assemblies and express views rationally.

It noted that the social unrest arising from opposition to the proposed legislative amendments has persisted for more than six months and has caused negative impacts on Hong Kong's economy, and the daily living and commuting of citizens.

To ease the burden to small and medium-sized enterprises and the public, the Government has rolled out four rounds of relief measures amounting to $25 billion.

It stressed that human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong are fully protected by the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and other laws.

Despite the social unrest in Hong Kong over the past six months, the Government has upheld the core values of the rule of law and freedoms, it added.

​The statement explained that since the city's return to the Motherland, the Government has been exercising "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy in strict accordance with the Basic Law.

The "one country, two systems" principle has been fully and successfully implemented and is the best arrangement for maintaining Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability.

The Government stressed that it will continue to implement the "one country, two systems" principle resolutely in accordance with the Basic Law.

It will spare no effort to tackle the problems arising from the saga. However, the top priority now is to stop violence and restore social order as soon as possible so people’s daily lives and business activities can return to normal.

​The Government will also continue to humbly listen to the public and strengthen communication with citizens and various social sectors.

The statement pointed out that the Chief Executive and her governing team have been reaching out to the public through different means.

These include district visits and holding in-depth dialogue sessions on policy matters and current social issues with people from various sectors.

It added that Principal Officials will also continue to hold dialogues with netizens on social media platforms.