Barricades Go Up Amid Calls For More Protests

Police have barricaded Lung Wui Road near the Legislative Council, apparently in anticipation of another mass protest on Wednesday as the council will be vetting the controversial national anthem law on that day.

There have been online calls for people to surround the complex as lawmakers debate the bill which will see those insulting the anthem facing up to three years in prison and a fine of up to HK$50,000.

But critics of the bill say it restricts freedom of expression in Hong Kong and the legal definition of disrespect will lead to misuse of the provision by the police to prosecute whoever they want.

Last year, hundreds of thousands of protesters had surrounded Legco when the second reading of the government’s proposal to amend extradition laws was to resume on June 12.

Security has been tight around Legco after it restarted meetings earlier this month as the coronavirus situation eased, with police regularly patrolling the area.

Barricades were also in place on roads leading to the Legco complex but the safety measure on Lung Wui Road is new.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of people had taken to the streets of Causeway Bay and Wan Chai to protest against Beijing’s move to introduce new security laws in Hong Kong.

This was the first mass protest in the city since the coronavirus pandemic led to a pause in what has been a year-long series of action against the government.