Hong Kong protesters arrested under new law

Hong Kong police made the first arrests yesterday under a new national security law imposed by China’s central government, as thousands of people defied tear gas and pepper pellets to protest against the contentious move on the anniversary of the former British colony’s handover to Chinese rule.

Police said 10 people were arrested under the law, including a man with a Hong Kong independence flag and a woman holding a sign displaying the British flag and calling for Hong Kong’s independence — all violations of the law that took effect on Wednesday. Others were detained for possessing items advocating independence.

Hong Kong police said they arrested 370 people on various charges, including unlawful assembly, possession of weapons and violating the new law, which was imposed in a move seen as Beijing’s boldest step yet to erase the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory and the China mainland. — AP

Photo / AP Protesters against the new national security law march and gesture with five fingers, signifying the “Five demands — not one less”.