Hong Kong police shot pepper pellets to disperse demonstrators in the heart of the global financial city on Wednesday and detained about 240 people as Beijing's new national security legislation revived anti-government protests.
As tensions escalated, riot police were deployed around Hong Kong's Legislative Council, dissuading demonstrators who had intended to assemble as a bill was to be discussed that would criminalize the Chinese national anthem's disrespect.
Angry at perceived challenges to the freedoms of the semi-autonomous region, citizens of all ages took to the streets, some dressed in black, some wearing office clothes, and some covering their faces in scenes reminiscent of the protests that shook Hong Kong last year under open umbrellas.
"While you're afraid inside your heart, you need to speak out," Chang, 29, a clerk and protester dressed in black with a respirator helmet and goggles in her backpack said.
Most stores, banks, and offices shut down early. Police have been seen rounding up dozens of people, causing them to sit on a sidewalk and then search.
Hong Kong's latest demonstrations follow the Chinese government's plan for national security legislation to counter city-wide secession, subversion, and terrorist activities. Chinese intelligence agencies could set up bases in Hong Kong under the proposed laws.
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