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Hong Kong (CNN) - Carrie Lam, leader of Hong Kong, completely withdrew the extradition bill that triggered three months of dramatic street protests.
The decision to comply with one of the key demands of the protesters meant a dramatic change of meaning for Lam, who for months refused to completely withdraw the bill that allowed extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China.
Lam suspended the bill in June after more than a million people marched against him, and protesters surrounded the city's legislature on the day of their second planned reading.
That suspension did not satisfy the protesters, who demanded the complete withdrawal of the bill, which made it difficult for the government to approve it at a later date. A withdrawn bill would need to return to the beginning of the legislative process, while a suspended one could resume where it left off.
In a televised speech on Wednesday, Lam said the government "would formally withdraw the bill to completely calm public concerns."
“After more than two months of social unrest, it is obvious to many that discontent extends far beyond the bill. It covers political, economic and social issues, ”he said.
However, pro-Beijing lawmaker Michael Tien said: "I think the withdrawal of the bill ... may come too late because this movement has become more than the bill."
This is only one of the five key demands of the protesters. They also ask for an independent investigation into allegations of police brutality, as well as greater democracy and political reform.
Hong Kong