Dozens held in Hong Kong as ‘anti-protest’ law kicks in on handover anniversary
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Hong Kong police fired water cannon on Wednesday to break up the first protest since China introduced sweeping security legislation and they made their first arrests under it, warning of punishment for advocating secession or subversion.
Beijing on Tuesday unveiled the details of the much-anticipated law after weeks of uncertainty, pushing China’s freest city and one of the world’s most glittering financial hubs onto a more authoritarian path.
Riot police shoot pepper-spray balls to disperse protesters during a rally against a new national security law on the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, in Causeway, in Hong Kong, China
As thousands of protesters gathered downtown for an annual rally marking the anniversary of the former British colony’s handover to China in 1997, riot police used pepper spray to make arrests, while shops and one metro station closed.
Crowds spilling out into the streets chanted “resist till the end” and “Hong Kong independence”.
Police fired water cannon to chase them away and later said they had made 30 arrests for illegal assembly, obstruction, possession of weapons and violating the new law.
Earlier, police cited the law for the first time in confronting protesters.
“You are displaying flags or banners/chanting slogans/or conducting yourselves with an intent such as secession or subversion, which may constitute offences under the … national security law,” police said in a message displayed on a purple banner.
The Chinese national flag (R) and Hong Kong flag are flown by helicopters during a flag raising ceremony at the Golden Bauhinia Square celebrating the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Hong Kong, China.
The law will punish crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison and officially set up mainland security agencies in Hong Kong for the first time, with powers beyond city laws.
China’s parliament adopted it in response to months of pro-democracy protests last year triggered by fears that Beijing was stifling the city’s freedoms, guaranteed by a “one country, two systems” formula agreed when it returned to Chinese rule.
Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few “troublemakers” and will not affect rights and freedoms, nor investor interests.
But critics fear it will crush the freedoms that are seen as key to Hong Kong’s success as a financial centre.
On July 1 last year, hundreds of protesters stormed and vandalised the city’s legislature to protest against a now-scrapped bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a press conference on the new national security law in Hong Kong, China, 01 July 2020. Chinese President Xi Jinping has signed into law the national security legislation Beijing has tailor-made for Hong Kong, prohibiting acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security. EPA-EFE/JEROME FAVRE
Those protests evolved into calls for greater democracy, paralysing parts of the city and paving the way for Beijing’s imposition of the law this week.
Speaking at a flag-raising ceremony to mark the handover anniversary, the city’s Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam, said the law was the most important development since the city’s return to Chinese rule.
“It is also an inevitable and prompt decision to restore stability,” Lam said at the harbour-front venue where 23 years ago the last colonial governor, Chris Patten, a staunch critic of the security law, tearfully handed back Hong Kong to Chinese rule.
Some pro-Beijing officials and political commentators say the law is aimed at sealing Hong Kong’s “second return” to the motherland after the first failed to bring residents to heel.
Critics denounced the lack of transparency on details of the legislation until it was unveiled. It came into force at 11 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Tuesday.
Some pro-democracy activists gave up membership of their groups just before the law came into force, though calling for the campaign for democracy to go on offshore.
