Hong Kong police stop and search people, fire tear gas on protesters as fears of ‘police state’ intensify

HONG KONG – Tens of thousands of Hong Kong protesters gathered Saturday for an “emergency” rally in support of autonomy for the Chinese territory, underscoring the continued support for a movement now in its 22nd week.Saturday’s crowd was overwhelmingly peaceful, but the march wasn’t sanctioned.

Ventus Lau, an activist who has been arrested multiple times during the protests, applied for the initial permit for the Victoria Park rally. He said the government’s efforts to stifle sanctioned events was only adding to the anger. The candidates said they would not need permission for these campaign meetings if they did not exceed more than 50 people each. But when the crowd swelled to thousands, the police quickly warned that they were gathering illegally and sought to disperse them. Protesters then made their way to central Hong Kong, where two authorized rallies were due to be held later in the evening.

“The anti-mask law should not be our concern, since it is inappropriate and a violation of the rule of law,” said a 28-year old protester, asking to be identified only by his last name, Chan, for fear of retribution. He was huddled among thousands of protesters in the Wan Chai neighborhood, blocked by police from marching further. “Nothing will stop us from coming up, but we have to assess every situation carefully, since police keep blocking us.

Jacky was with hundreds of other protesters when a water cannon came barreling down the road, causing them to scatter.A swift move from Beijing to end the protests that some feared might lead to a Tiananmen-style crackdown in Hong Kong has not happened. However, protesters, pro-democracy lawmakers and ordinary residents, have begun to refer to the city as a “police state.

Hong Kong is becoming a police state

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