Hong Kong police fired tear gas and pepper spray to disperse thousands protesting on Sunday against Beijing’s plan to directly impose national security laws on the city, the biggest flare-up in the city since COVID-19 lockdowns began, reported Reuters.
Crowds thronged the bustling shopping district of Causeway Bay, where protesters chanted slogan.
The protest was the first since Beijing proposed national security laws on Thursday and pose a fresh challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping as authorities struggle to tame public opposition to China’s tightening grip over the global financial hub.
The demonstrations come amid concerns over the fate of the “one country, two systems” formula that has governed Hong Kong since the former UK colony’s return to Chinese rule in 1997. The arrangement guarantees the city broad freedoms not seen on the mainland, including a free press and independent judiciary.
Sunday’s rally was initially organised against a controversial national anthem bill, due for a second reading in the city’s lawmaking body on Wednesday. The proposed national security laws sparked calls for more people to take to the streets.
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