Protests as Hong Kong bans anthem ‘insults’
HONG Kong lawmakers marked the 31st anniversary of the Tianan- men Square massacre yesterday by making it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem.
The controversial legislation was approved at a stormy meeting disrupted by two pro-democracy MPs who threw a foul-smelling liquid on the floor of the assembly.
Police and firefighters were called in after the stunt by the MPs, who said they were protesting at the growing power of the Chinese Communist Party.
It was the second such protest at the Legislative Council in recent days. Last week, a pro-democracy MP threw rotten plants on to the floor of the chamber, saying it symbolised the decay of Hong Kong’s political system.
The vote came as residents across the former British colony found ways to mark the 31st anniversary of the day Chinese troops and tanks opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing. Estimates of the dead vary from a few hundred to several thousand.
Tens of thousands of people normally remember the dead in Hong Kong but this year – as Beijing proposed a new security law for the city – the vigil was banned under coronavirus laws.
Police also threatened to deploy up to 3,000 riot officers to stop smaller gatherings.
But residents still found ways to show their feelings.
Thousands joined in a call to light candles at 8pm local time, which was followed by a minute’s silence, songs and chants.
Hong Kong and Macau are the only parts of China allowed to mark the killings.
References to the 1989 crackdown are banned on the mainland.