Thousands of people marched in Hong Kong today, to mark the anniversary of clashes with the police, in protests against Beijing’s abusive interference in this semi-autonomous region.
As of Tuesday, hundreds of people had already gathered in Hong Kong, by the time of a year on the first major demonstration of protest against an extradition bill, which has since been withdrawn, which has become a decisive milestone for the pro-democracy and anti-government movement
Today, Hong Kong citizens have returned to the streets, singing protest songs and putting up posters against the Chinese Communist Party, which they accuse of trying to destroy the region’s autonomy.
The police raised blue flags, the sign that warns that the demonstration is illegal and that the force of the agents can be used to disperse the participants.
Groups of protesters were arrested and searched in several neighborhoods in the city, and the police again used tear gas and detained several activists, including pro-democracy legislator Ted Hui.
A few hours before the demonstration, more than 100 people participated in a protest, at lunchtime, in a shopping center, with flags calling for independence for Hong Kong and a long banner that read: “People are not afraid of death. Why threaten them with her? ”.
Protest movements had calmed down earlier this year when the new coronavirus started to spread, but they have increased in strength in recent weeks after the Chinese parliament passed the new national security law for Hong Kong, despite protests. also from the international community.
The Chinese Government claims that the law aims to restrict secessionist and subversive behavior in Hong Kong, in addition to trying to prevent foreign intervention in internal affairs.
However, critics of the regime say this law is an attack on the freedoms promised to Hong Kong when they were handed over to China in 1997, when the territory was no longer a British colony.
Hong Kong operates under the motto of “one country, two systems”, which grants the city rights that do not exist in mainland China, namely freedom of expression and assembly.
On Thursday, three pro-democracy activists and media mogul Jimmy Lai were accused of “inciting others to participate in an unauthorized demonstration” during a candlelight vigil last week, marking Beijing’s crackdown against demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in 1989.
The police banned the annual vigil for the first time in three decades, citing public health concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic, but thousands of people still attended.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying criticized the United Kingdom today for issuing a regular six-month report on developments in Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong’s affairs are China’s internal affairs. No foreign organization or individual has the right to intervene. The British side has no sovereignty, governance, oversight or responsibility over Hong Kong, ”said Hua.
Hua also defended the new national security legislation, saying the United Kingdom must “face reality, respect China’s sovereignty, security and integrity and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs”.
“The more external forces intervene in Hong Kong affairs, the more determined China is to move forward with national security legislation in Hong Kong,” said Hua.
