Exceeding expectations by 280%, the people of Hong Kong came out in droves to participate in the territory’s pro-democracy primaries.
Around 600,000 people voted, with 592,000 participating online and 21,000 voting in person over the weekend. Organizers only expected around 170,000 people to vote.
The primaries aimed to determine which pro-democracy candidates would be the strongest to put forward for September’s Hong Kong Legislative Council election. Typically, the majority of those on the council are pro-China. The pro-democracy candidates have vowed to veto the budget for Hong Kong’s government if they gain a majority of seats on the council.
China’s new “national security” law for Hong Kong passed last month and criminalizes subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. The law is written so broadly that it leaves room for the oppression and targeting of dissidents.
Hong Kong’s constitutional affairs minister warned on Thursday that the primary could be considered an act of subversion under the new law, which is punishable by years in prison. He reasoned that because voting down the budget could itself be considered an act of subversion, organizing or participating in the pro-democracy primary could be considered one as well.
On Friday, police raided the office of Hong Kong’s Public Opinion Research Institute, copying some of the organization’s files, claiming that citizen’s personal information had been leaked to the public. The PORI helped organize the weekend’s elections.
Many expected that these incidents would discourage people from participating, but they instead appear to have had the opposite effect.
“Despite the threat of the national security law, there are still nearly 600,000 people coming out to vote,” said Au Nok-hin, one of the organizers of the primaries. “We can see Hong Kongers are really brave.”
