Activists in Hong Kong have called for a protest rally on Friday against Beijing's plans to impose a security law on the semi-autonomous city, where fears are growing of threats to freedoms and its status as a world financial hub.
While it is not yet clear whether the protest, which does not have a permit, will actually take place at noon in the central financial district, its convening is a sign that Hong Kong could once again be engulfed in unrest.
A law that could be a historical turning point
The law announced by China could be a historic turning point for Hong Kong and also tighten tensions between Washington and Beijing, whose relations have already been weakened by trade disputes and accusations of the coronavirus pandemic.
In his annual report to China's parliament on Friday, Premier Li Keqiang said China would establish a legal system and introduce mechanisms to ensure national security in Hong Kong and Macau, another semi-autonomous territory which, like Hong Kong, also falls under under China according to the "one country, two systems" model.
The last attempt to pass similar legislation in 2003 was met with protests in which about half a million people took to the streets and was eventually shelved.
China's announcement of the introduction of new legislation comes after pro-democracy protests took place in Hong Kong in 2019, which were sometimes violent, and Hong Kong experienced the biggest crisis since it was returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The protest occurred because of the announcement by the Hong Kong authorities about the possibility of extraditing Hong Kong citizens to China in case of violation of the law.
Activists say it's the end of Hong Kong
Pro-democracy activists and politicians have for years opposed the idea of Beijing-imposed national security legislation, arguing that it would threaten the degree of autonomy guaranteed under the "one country, two systems" model.
Pro-democracy activists on Thursday evening qualified China's plans as "the end of Hong Kong".
The inclusion of new security laws for Hong Kong in a session of China's parliament, which began its annual session on Friday after months of delays due to the coronavirus, prompted US President Donald Trump to warn that Washington would react "very strongly".
Bonus video:
