Hundreds of protesters began this Sunday afternoon to assemble in central Hong Kong to protest Beijing's plan to impose controversial security legislation on its semi-autonomous region.
It is the first attempt at a demonstration since mainland China announced on Friday that it intends to put Hong Kong on the march. At the opening of the plenary session of the National People's Assembly, the annual political high mass of the Chinese Communist Party, a bill was tabled to allow the central government to apply a "national security law" in the autonomous territory, returned by the United Kingdom to China in 1997, without passing through the Local Legislative Council.
This text, which wants to ban "treason, secession, sedition and subversion" in Hong Kong is a direct response to the monster demonstrations of the democratic opposition in 2019, which had mobilized up to one in five inhabitants. The movement stretched until December, and radicalized.
Tear gas and water truck
As of 2 p.m. (8 a.m. French time) this Sunday, while riot police were deployed en masse, pro-democracy activists gathered in the heart of Causeway Bay, one of the busiest shopping districts in Hong Kong.
While the police called on the demonstrators to disperse, they moved to the neighboring district of Wanchai. At around 3 p.m. (8 a.m. French time), the police cleared the artery with tear gas, while a water truck drove the road at low speed.
Hundreds of protesters chanting various protests slogans and getting ready for the march against the national security law to begin. #HongKongProtests pic.twitter.com/iymEv8pCC5
- Jessie Pang (@ JessiePang0125) May 24, 2020Thousands of #Hongkongers are getting ready to protest against the #nationalsecuritylaw imposed by #Beijing pic.twitter.com/llKDE6gAgt
- Demosistō 香港 眾志 😷 (@demosisto) May 24, 2020Authorities have prohibited the gathering and the gathering of more than eight people is prohibited as part of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. “Now is the beginning of the end and time is running out in Hong Kong, even under the Covid-19 epidemic. We still have to rally our forces to protest, ”said democracy activist Joshua Wong.