PRO-DEMOCRACY MARCH HELD AMID TENSIONS

Tens of thousands of Hong Kongers took to the streets Friday for an annual prodemocracy protest march, as tensions persisted over the high-profile case of a bookseller secretly detained in the mainland.

Protesters waved placards calling for Hong Kong’s independence from China and signs with photos of the bookseller, Lam Wingkee, whose revelations last month about his ordeal rekindled concerns about Beijing’s tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city.

Lam is one of five booksellers who went missing for months only to turn up later in mainland China, detained or involved in investigations.

Lam returned to Hong Kong last month on the condition he provide information to Chinese authorities about buyers of the gossipy tomes on China’s Communist leadership his company specialized in. But he defied the orders and instead spoke out about his ordeal of being detained secretly on the mainland.