by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:34 PM ET, Fri August 9, 2019
Hong Kong's airport has beefed up security as protestors descend for what's expected to be a three-day-long sit-in at the facility's arrivals hall in the main terminal.
According to a Bloomberg report, only departing passengers with tickets or boarding passes and valid travel documents are going to be allowed to enter the check-in area at Hong Kong Airport's Terminal 1 until Sunday evening.
This is the 10th weekend of anti-China demonstrations in Hong Kong. The protests, which are peaceful, are designed to secure international backing for the movement, the South China Morning Post reported.
The sit-ins at the airport are part of a flurry of weekend protests taking place across the city, including separate rallies by senior citizens and families, according to Bloomberg.
The protests began in June, triggered by a bill easing extraditions to the mainland, and have since expanded to include demands for the resignation of local leader Carrie Lam, whose government is backed by China.
The continued disruptions are having an increasing impact on Hong Kong's economy and daily life, raising concerns that Beijing will send its army to restore order, according to Bloomberg.
Lam has said that the economic downturn caused by the protests is worse than that of the SARS epidemic and the 2008 global financial crisis.
At the airport meanwhile, staff have established barriers outside of check-in aisles.
Protest organizers have said thousands are planning show up, and hope police will respect what they said is planned to be a peaceful protest.
Given the increased security, passengers have experienced delays in reaching departure gates, and airlines are advising travelers to arrive early for flights.
The United States Department of State recently updated its travel advisory for Hong Kong to warn American citizens about potentially dangerous clashes between protestors and the local government.
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