Hong Kong legislative session adjourned amid protests and heckling

Pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong heckled the city's embattled leader and called for her to step down on Thursday during a legislative session that was repeatedly suspended as several politicians were manhandled out of the chamber.

It was the second day of chaos in Hong Kong's Legislative Council as leader Carrie Lam tried to answer questions about her annual policy address, which she was forced to deliver by video link on Wednesday after a similar disruption in the assembly.

Lam, who is backed by China's government, announced measures on Wednesday to tackle the city's chronic housing shortage in her address after she was jeered in the chamber.

Again on Thursday, pro-democracy lawmakers shouted for Lam to resign, saying she had blood on her hands.

They also called on her to address protesters' key demands - something her policy address largely ignored.

About a dozen members of the assembly were ejected, shouting and waving placards as security guards marched them out.

Lam stood silently amid the ruckus, offering no response to calls for her resignation and a calm defence of her policies.

"I hope the lawmakers can understand one policy address can't help us jump out of our mindset," Lam said, then pointed to housing reforms and living and transport subsidies announced on Wednesday.

"I have mentioned that we will be humble, listen to different voices and up an expert commission to find a way out of the current situation we are facing," she said.

Activist attacked

The turmoil in Hong Kong's legislature underscores the deepening political rift in the city, with no end in sight to the often violent anti-government protests that began in opposition to an extradition bill but have evolved into a broad pro-democracy movement.

In the latest street violence, masked assailants wielding knives and hammers attacked Jimmy Sham, the leader of one of the biggest pro-democracy groups in the Chinese-ruled city on Wednesday.

Rights group Amnesty International urged authorities to investigate what it described as a horrifying attack that would send a chilling signal.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo condemned the attack on Sham, head of the Civil Human Rights Front.

"We can't help feeling that this entire thing is part of a plan to shed blood at Hong Kong’s peaceful protests," Mo told reporters outside the legislature.

It was the second such attack on Sham.

His group, which organised million-strong marches in June, plans a march on Sunday in the district of Kowloon, but authorities have not confirmed it will be allowed.

He was left in a pool of blood on the footpath after being set upon by an estimated five men in the gritty Mong Kok district on the Kowloon peninsula.

Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty's East Asia regional office, said the attack had to be investigated to send a clear message that targeting activists will have consequences," he said.

"Anything less would send a chilling signal that such attacks are tolerated by the authorities," he said in a statement.

Police have vowed to investigate.