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Hong Kong police have opened fire with pepper pellets to disperse protests against China’s controversial new national security laws.
Riot police descended on the Central Government Complex in the heart of Hong Kong’s global financial center to disperse crowds that had gathered to protest against what they see as threats to their freedoms.
Tensions soared as police swarmed on the Legislative Council where protesters are calling for action against a bill to criminalize disrespect of the Chinese anthem.
At least 16 people have been arrested, according to a statement issued by the Hong Kong police.
If passed into law, the bill would make it a criminal offense to “disrespect” the anthem of the People’s Republic of China. The bill, which gets its second reading on Wednesday, would also require the anthem to be taught in schools and be sung by organizations.
The legislation also includes provisions that would prohibit “splittism, subversion, terrorism, any behavior that gravely threatens national security and foreign interference” in Hong Kong.
Beijing has not defined what each of these terms means although it is thought that the proposed laws will be similar to national security legislation in China.
Tensions have been flaring in Hong Kong in recent days over plans by China to impose the new legislation.
The protests have been fuelled by growing anger at Beijing’s increasing interference in the semi-autonomous city. Despite the unease, the National People’s Congress (NPC) is expected to pass the bill into law.
Earlier this week, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam spoke publicly in defense of the proposed new laws, adding that there was “no need to worry” about preserving the city’s freedoms.
Ms Lam dismissed international concern about the bill as ”untrue opinions” of “some foreign politicians” after it emerged that China had planned to impose the laws.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Lam did not provide any details as to why citizens should not be concerned about the new laws, urging the public to wait for the full draft of the legislation to be released.
She did, however, tell reporters that the initial proposal presented by the NPC on 22 May, which would ban treason, secession, sedition, and subversion, and allow Beijing to set up the intelligence agency bureaux in Hong Kong, was reassuring.
“Hong Kong needs this piece of legislation for the bigger benefit of the great majority of Hong Kong people,” she said.
