Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam relied on thousands of riot police to enforce what she declared was a return to stability, sweeping up scores of would-be protesters before they could mobilize another mass demonstration on the anniversary of communist rule in China.
Crowds that gathered at popular protest points on National Day were met by phalanxes of armor-clad officers, with some 6,000 riot police deployed ahead of the holiday. As of 10 p.m. Thursday, police had arrested at least 86 people, including four district councilors, on suspicion of attending unauthorized assemblies and other offenses. Another 20 were ticketed for violating outbreak-control measures banning gatherings of more than four people.
Empowered by a sweeping national security law drafted by Beijing without public debate, as well as coronavirus restrictions, Hong Kong has effectively banned the mass public gatherings that activists have long used to push demands for greater democracy in the former British colony. Lam sought to demonstrate that strength with a traditional outdoor flag-raising ceremony Thursday — a stark contrast from last year, when the threat of disruptions forced officials inside.