Police in Hong Kong have arrested nearly 300 people for protesting in the territory on Sunday. Protesters were on the streets on a day that Hong Kong should have been holding local elections, had they not been postponed for a year by the government over coronavirus fears. Police responded with pepper balls against protesters who demonstrated against the deferment. Many believe it was to prevent pro-democracy parties from gaining at the ballots, riding on a wave of anti-establishment feeling. A new security law that prohibits virtually all protest in the city has added to the anti-government mood. China’s new Hong Kong Security Law prohibits almost all forms of protest. Those convicted of offenses can be sentenced to life in prison. Accustomed to political activism and free expression, Hong Kong activists are trying to adjust to the new normal. At least ten people have been arrested under the new law. No one knows which political slogans are still allowed. Ever since the new national security law was instituted, political opinions have become dangerous.
Hong Kong protesters arrested under new ‘security law’ | DW News
