Hong Kong’s annual pro-democracy march banned by police
Annual pro-democracy protests are set to take place in Hong Kong today despite a police ban on demonstrations.
Today’s protests come in the wake of the implementation of new, controversial national security legislation. The annual protests have historically served as a rallying cry for pro-democracy activists within the city, but in recent years Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam have cracked down on expressions of dissent.
With the national security legislation now completed, expect violent clashes between protesters and police officers. However, it is unlikely that Hong Kong police or Chinese security forces will respond to protests with deadly force.
For its part, Washington has vowed to impose visa restrictions on Chinese officials affiliated with the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy and limitations on defence and high-tech exports. Any detention of Chinese officials would likely lead to the detention of US citizens in China. With the UK pledging to create a pathway to citizenship for Hong Kongers who wish to escape China’s increasingly tight control over the city, it is unlikely the Trump administration will take further action as current trends show a tit-for-tat exchange with neither the US nor China abating.
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