Solomon Island protesters defy capital lockdown
Solomon Islanders have defied a government-imposed lockdown and protested in the capital for a second day, setting fire to buildings in the city amid an outpouring of disquiet in the Pacific country.
According to the owner of the video, the police station was damaged by anti-government protesters earlier on Thursday morning. The video obtained by Reuters showed debris and broken windows across the station.
Media reports did not give an exact reason for the unrest but said people had travelled from Malaita, an island which is separated from Honiara by water, to the capital because of concern about being overlooked by the national government. The province, which supports the U.S., opposed a 2019 decision to end diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establish formal links with China, resulting in an independence referendum last year which the national government has dismissed as illegitimate.
Protesters particularly targeted the capital city's Chinatown on Thursday, setting fire to buildings.
