The Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) canceled a full council meeting scheduled on Thursday, on an extradition bill that could allow the Chinese mainland to extradite criminals from Hong Kong. 

LegCo did not announce when the meeting would be held. The council is expected to vote on the amended bill on June 20. 

A previous meeting, scheduled on Wednesday, was also canceled following demonstrations near the LegCo office, which turned into a riot and injured almost 80. 

At about 8:00 am on Wednesday, protesters gathering around the LegCo complex ran toward nearby roads and obstructed traffic. They lifted bricks on the pavement and demolished railings to form road barriers, causing severe traffic congestion, media reported. 

Death threats were sent to HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yet-ngor from an unknown number of people who vowed to kill her, the justice secretary and their families if the extradition bill was not withdrawn within 24 hours, South China Morning Post reported Wednesday. 

Describing what happened as a "sad scene," Lam condemned the riot in a videotaped speech broadcast Wednesday evening.

"It is very clear that this is no longer a peaceful assembly, but a blatant and organized riot," Lam said.

Analysts noted that foreign interference was obviously behind the demonstrations and violence, and the way they were organized.  

On Thursday, several senior Chinese diplomats condemned foreign interference in the amendment. 

Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. No other country or individual has the right to interfere, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at the daily briefing on Thursday. Geng said the central government strongly condemns all sorts of violence and supports the regional government to handle it in accordance with law. 

The remarks came after the European Union said it shared Hong Kong citizens' concerns over the proposed extradition reforms and urged an in-depth public consultation.

"We urge the European Union to exercise caution in its words and deeds" and to look at the amendment in an "objective and fair" way, Geng said. 

Victor Chan, vice president of the Hong Kong Association of Young Commentators, said that if the amendment is not passed, those who commit severe crimes would be at large and unpunished due to the legal loophole, which he said is "unreasonable."

Chan noted that an impulsive sentiment is rising in Hong Kong after the incident and many are losing their cool. "Though most of the people in the region are peaceful and rational, there's always a small group of people, driven by ulterior motives, who incite violence, but violence is not the solution," he said.