Hong Kong police arrest 53 during clean protests, more rallies planned
10 June, 2020
Hong Kong police arrested 53 people during protests on Tuesday (Jun 9) evening that saw hundreds of activists try the streets, at times blocking roads in the heart of the global financial hub, before police fired pepper spray to disperse crowds.
The protests, called to mark a year of sometimes violent rallies in the former British colony, also came amid heightened tensions because of a proposed national security Bill backed by the central government in Beijing.
Police said on Wednesday that 36 males and 17 females were arrested for offences including unlawful assembly and taking part in unauthorised assembly. Protesters had defied a ban on gatherings greater than eight people unveiled by the Hong Kong government to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.
Even more protests are planned in the coming days, with pro-democracy supporters fearing the proposed national security legislation will significantly stifle freedoms on the city.
While information on the security regulation or how it'll operate have yet to be revealed, authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have said there is absolutely no cause for concern and the legislation will target a minority of "troublemakers".
The standing committee of the National People's Congress, the top decision-making body of the Chinese parliament, will meet in Beijing afterwards this month to deliberate on various draft legislation, official Chinese media reported on Wednesday.
The reports didn't specify whether any regulations regarding Hong Kong were included on the agenda for discussion at the Jun 18-20 meeting.
Hong Kong Security Secretary John Lee told the South China Morning Post in an interview posted on Wednesday that local police were setting up a dedicated unit to enforce regulations and it would contain intelligence gathering, investigation and training capabilities.
Companies including HSBC and Regular Chartered have backed the security regulation without knowing the facts of it, drawing criticism from some investors and US and British officials.
US Secretary of Express Mike Pompeo designated HSBC on Tuesday, saying such "corporate kowtows" got little in exchange from Beijing and criticising the Chinese Communist Party's "coercive bullying tactics".
Hong Kong's year of protests was sparked by a government Bill that could have allowed persons to be extradited to mainland China, where courts are manipulated by the Communist Party, for trial.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam withdrew that Bill as the protests gathered pace but activists remained concerned that China is certainly reneging on an agreement signed with Britain prior to the 1997 handover to permit Hong Kong to retain a higher degree of autonomy for 50 years from that date.
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