Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday urged opponents of Beijing's plan to impose national security legislation in the financial hub to stop "smearing" the effort, saying those who did were "the enemy of the people."
Beijing last month announced a plan to introduce legislation in Hong Kong to tackle secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference.
Critics see it as the most serious threat to a "one country, two systems" formula that was agreed upon when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and aimed at ensuring its freedoms and role as a global financial center.