HONG KONG: Police fired rounds of pepper balls at protesters in Hong Kong on Sunday as hundreds took to the streets to demonstrate against the postponement of legislative elections and a new national security law imposed by China.
"Today is supposedly our voting day, we need to resist to fight back for our vote,” said a 70-year old woman surnamed Wong as she marched with other demonstrators.The poll would have been the former British colony’s first official vote since Beijing imposed new security legislation in late June. The government insists there was no political motive behind the delay.
These slogans are now banned under the new security law. Police said they arrested at least 90 people for illegal gatherings, in a notice on their Facebook page. Anti-government demonstrations have declined this year mainly because of limits on group gatherings, imposed to counter the spread of coronavirus, and the security law, which punishes actions China sees as subversive, secessionist, terrorist or colluding with foreign forces.Critics say the law aims to quash dissent in the city, while supporters say it will bring more stability after a year of often-violent anti-government and anti-China unrest.