[France24] Hundreds of people protested in Hong Kong on Sunday against Beijing’s controversial new plan to directly impose national security laws on the city, where a tight police presence guarded China's representative office in the financial hub.The rally came as the city's government sought to reassure the public and foreign investors over the tough security laws proposed by Beijing that sent a chill through financial markets and drew a swift rebuke from foreign governments, international human rights groups and some business lobbies.
Protesters gathered in the bustling shopping district of Causeway Bay where police conducted stop-and-search operations and warned people not to violate a ban on gatherings of more than eight people, imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
"Now is the beginning of the end and time is really running out in Hong Kong, and that's the reason for us, even under the outbreak of COVID-19. We still need to gather our strength to protest," said democracy activist Joshua Wong.
In drafting the legislation, which could see the setting up of Chinese government intelligence agencies in the global financial centre, Beijing plans to circumvent Hong Kong’s lawmaking body, the Legislative Council.
The move has sparked concerns over the fate of the "one country, two systems" formula that has governed Hong Kong since the former UK colony's return to Chinese rule in 1997. The arrangement guarantees the city broad freedoms not seen on the mainland, including a free press and independent judiciary.