THOUSANDS IN HK PROTEST VS CHINESE SECURITY LAW

China has reignited social unrest in Hong Kong by filing a proposal for a national security law that bans “subversion, sedition and secession” against the Beijing government and practically allows the massive state security apparatus of China to operate in Hong Kong, which was guaranteed autonomy based on the handover agreement between Beijing and London in 1997.

In an article for Reuters written late on May 24, 2020, James Pomfret and Jessie Pang said police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of people who rallied on Sunday to protest against Beijing’s plan to impose national security laws on the city.

The demonstrations come amid concerns over the fate of the “one country, two systems” formula that has governed Hong Kong since 1997. It guarantees the city broad freedoms not seen on the mainland, including a free press and independent judiciary. Washington said on Sunday China’s proposed legislation could lead to US sanctions.

Protesters set up roadblocks and hurled umbrellas, water bottles and other objects, police said, adding that they responded with tear gas and made more than 120 arrests. Many shops and other businesses closed early. The scenes evoked memories of last year’s sometimes violent anti-government protests, which drew up to two million people in the biggest single protest, Reuters concluded. #HongKong