About 300 held for illegal assemblies in Hong Kong

Around 300 people were arrested on suspicion of attending unauthorized assemblies in Central, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok in Hong Kong on Wednesday, local police said.

The illegal gathering started in the morning as lawmakers were expected to discuss a bill on the national anthem law at the Legislative Council.

Around 180 people were arrested in Central and Causeway Bay, about 50 people in Admiralty and around 60 people in Mong Kok for taking part in unauthorized assemblies.

Police said they respected residents’ rights to express their opinions peacefully, but stressed that it had to be done in a legal way. At least 16 people were arrested in the morning for suspected possession of offensive weapons and dangerous driving.

According to the police, around 1pm, protesters occupied the carriageways in the vicinity of Pedder Street, Central, causing serious obstruction to traffic.

Officers are taking resolute action to enforce the law and using the minimum necessary force. Protesters are warned to stop blocking the road and leave as soon as possible.

The assemblies also came days after a draft decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security was submitted to the third session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing.