A new round of protests broke out on Wednesday in Hong Kong on controversial legislation that would make the Chinese national anthem a crime with up to three years in prison insult. Plans to “besiege” the regulatory city legislature complex in the city, the national anthem Bill met his second reading on Wednesday morning did not come to give, but the protests have erupted around noon in different districts. In Causeway Bay business and shopping districts, the groups gathered to chant slogans at a luxury shopping center. The police came mass arrests conducted in the area. Riot police fired pepper spray balls to mass in the central business district gathered, chanting slogans such as “fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong” The area is home to the headquarters of several international banks and law firms. By late afternoon, the demonstrators gathered in Mong Kok area for an impromptu march before being dispersed by police. About 300 people were arrested on Wednesday, according to local media. The protests come just days after thousands on the streets of Beijing on Sunday demonstration against proposed national security legislation adopted. The National Security Act is proposed secession, sedition, terrorism and foreign interference in Hong Kong, but it would be imposed by the government in Beijing is to bypass the legislative process in Hong Kong. Critics say the law those who oppose Beijing, although Hong Kong is leader had dismissed concerns used to the silence, and said that it will not affect the freedom of Hong Kong. Here’s what to know about the national anthem controversial bill. What is that? The proposed legislation would criminalize insult or abuse “March of the Volunteers” China’s national anthem. “Distorted mode or disrespectful” to play or the national anthem in one or “publicly and intentionally” sing insult would be punished by a fine of 50,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $6,450) and up to three years in prison. The bill also provides that the anthem will not be used as background music in public. It should be played in schools in Hong Kong students on reading educate “the history and the spirit of the national anthem,” the text of the bill. Beijing has implemented a similar law in China in October 2017. In the beginning the legislature in November 2017 China added a clause in Hong Kong Basic Law, the mini-constitution that has governed the city since 1997 handover, instructing the government Hongkongere enact national security laws on site. It ‘was introduced at the beginning of 2019 in Hong Kong legislature, but failed to progress triggered by a delivery invoice mass demonstrations program and often plunged the city into six months of violent anti-government protests. Why sparks protests bill? The bill is seen as an intervention on the part of Beijing to the unique freedom of Hong Kong, such as freedom of speech. “There is a limitation of personal freedom, freedom of expression,” Au Nok-hin, who served 2018-2019 as a legislator, told TIME. Past moves by Chinese authorities perceived freedom and towers has large demonstrations in Hong Kong triggered. Thousands of protesters turned out on Sunday for a national security law in March, the legislative body announced last week China for its implementation plans for Hong Kong. Maya Wang, China senior researcher at the rights group Human Rights Watch says the national anthem bill would be a “sad development” for Hong Kong. “This law research and the next national security laws, there is a clear trend towards the end of Hong Kong as a place where people can speak without fear,” he says. “It is a step towards greater and broader restrictions on freedom of expression that tracks with the general trend in the rest of China.” As Hongkongers react? Democratic lawmakers have slammed the bill. “The hallmark of an authoritarian regime that will do all the crimes, they do not like,” said Dennis Kwok in favor of parliamentary democracy. “Respect people, however, be earned punishment should be determined,” Fernando Cheung, a legislator in favor of democracy, tells TIME. “Beijing has managed to earn the respect of Hongkongers over the past 23 years and is now ready to repress us Hong Kong to the mainland will be a normal city.” Because Beijing will happen now? Hong Kong Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung told local media that the government has a “constitutional responsibility” to adopt the law as soon as possible. “The national anthem is a symbol and sign is the nation. The National Anthem Act to enact the law of the People’s Republic of China by local law,” he said. The city embattled Director Carrie Lam in early May, said the legislator bill to make the highest priority (number of bills have been through a stalemate that has lasted a month between opposing political blocs in arrears). The bill will expire if it is not passed by the legislature of the summer break in July, according to local media, go through the whole legislative process. Experts say Beijing grew impatient with Hong Kong, and wants to push through a series of changes, including the National Security Law and the National Anthem reads now, the city to fight the pro-democracy movement. “Last year they were shocked by the fierce protests, one million people, two million people and so on, so that quickly they wanted to act” Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Center for China Studies, tells TIME. Further reforms are also seen to be taken into account. In early May, he criticized the leaders of the city, the education system, saying that the government would announce plans to address this year found problems. “Liberal Studies” courses that are part of Hong Kong curriculum is that students have made responsible for the promotion of the protests to join. What happens next? The bill could be law as early as June 4 ° after the South China Morning Post. “We can do as a minority in the legislature bit ‘too much,” said pro-democracy legislator Fernando Cheung. “My expectation is that the former has passed under the iron policy of the Communist Party, the national anthem law have a very high probability,” the former legislator Au says Nok-Out. “But you will never get the support of the public.” Legal observers say Beijing walking on the promises at the time of the passage of deliveries former British colony to China in 1997 should be taken back as a warning from the international community. “Hong Kong style as the canary in the coal mine for the increasingly aggressive behavior of China for violating international obligations,” Wang says Human Rights Watch.
National Anthem of the Hong Kong Bill Sparks RENEWED protests. Here’s what to know
