A year after the massive protests surrounding the controversial extradition law in Hong Kong, hundreds of protesters took to the streets on Tuesday evening. City police made 53 arrests and used pepper spray to disperse protesters.
The protesters were arrested for participating in an illegal meeting, the news agency writes Reuters. Meetings with more than eight people are not yet allowed due to the applicable corona measures in the city.
The protest was held to reflect on the massive protests against the controversial extradition law, which broke out Tuesday a year ago. At the same time, tensions have also arisen in the city in recent weeks around a new package of bills, which China has authorized the Hong Kong government.
The bills must address separatism, undermining and foreign intervention in Hong Kong politics. Critics, however, fear that the freedom of the semi-autonomous region will be suppressed by these new bills.
The latest sign that Beijing is tightening its grip on the city, according to these critics, is the proposal that criminalizes insulting the Chinese national anthem. The Hong Kong Legislative Council adopted the proposal last week.
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