Hong Kong police say they have arrested 370 people during protests over China’s new “national security” law for the territory.
While the arrested Hong Kongers have been accused of a plethora of offenses, including unlawful assembly and possession of a weapon, police said 10 of those protesters were taken into custody for violating the new law.
The law imposes broad restrictions on the freedoms of Hong Kong’s people, criminalizing acts such as secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. The text of the law, released Tuesday local time, did not clearly indicate what specific acts would be included under those terms. Now, as the first arrests under the law are being made, a clearer picture of its far-reaching implications is emerging.
Several of these protesters were arrested for violating Section One of the law, which prohibits “criminal separatism [secession].” A 15-year-old girl and a man were arrested for waving a Hong Kong independence flag, and if convicted, may face up to five years in prison. Another woman was arrested for holding a British flag and calling for Hong Kong’s independence and could also face up to five years in prison.
These sentences could be even larger if the government deems their offenses “serious.” The law gives no clear indication as to what a “serious” offense entails.
“Those who have been arrested under this new national security law, some of them were just holding signs. Some of them were handing out fliers that said, Independence for Hong Kong.’ That is now a criminal offense,” reported CNN’s Anna Coren, live from the protests. “China is firmly in charge.”
“I’m scared of going to jail but for justice I have to come out today, I have to stand up,” one protester told Reuters.
Protesters have been gathering July 1 since 1997 to mark the transfer of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom back to China.
