(Photo : Photo by Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images)
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, speaks during a reception to celebrate National Day on Oct. 1, 2020, in Hong Kong, China. Hong Kong police deployed 6000 officers on National Day to handle any chaos that might erupt after witnessing an increase in online messages calling for violence despite banning the request for a rally by an opposition party.
On Thursday, dozens of people were arrested by Hong Kong riot police after demonstrators continued to march with anti-government agendas.
Law enforcement personnel blocked crowds from gathering together while Chief Executive Carrie Lam praised the city and its successful efforts in returning stability.
Anti-government protests
According to Reuters, witnesses saw police officers apprehend more than 50 people downtown and bound their wrists with plexicuffs before forcing onto buses. Officers posted on a Facebook post that they were searching for two men who allegedly threw petrol bombs into the streets.
Protesters revealed they wanted to march against Beijing's implementation of the new security law in the city that was passed on June 30. Demonstrators demanded officials to return 12 Hong Kong citizens who police arrested at sea in August for attempting to flee to Taiwan.
Police officials have ruled to ban the protests, arguing that the coronavirus pandemic is still a significant risk, and people gathering in large crowds could sharply increase infections. However, shoppers and passers-by continued to break into pro-democracy chants while avoid coming together into a large group.
A woman who was dressed in black during the protests, Jay, said that while it was China's national day, the people of the city considered it to be Hong Kong's death day. The demonstrator marched through the streets, passing police officers on the way.
Jay added that Hong Kong citizens are under pressure but argued they need to be strong and fight back to regain their freedom.
Many of the 6,000 police officers deployed along the routes conducted continuous stop-and-search activities throughout the city and sent away any person they thought was suspicious of being an anti-government protester.
China and Hong Kong's ideologies
During the reception marking the 71st anniversary of the Communist Party rule of mainland China, Lam said that the apparent fact that people refused to believe is that stability has been returned to Hong Kong, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
This year, the majority of protests have been banned, and the city has begun returning to normal after spending two months under strict public-health regulations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A man who appeared to be in his 20s who identified himself simply as Mr. Wong, said that the government wanted people and the world to believe that Hong Kong is a stable and happy city.
Standing near police officers in the shopping district, Wong added the citizens are hiding their frustrations and argued Lam wanted what China's Communist Party wanted and cared little for the people.
Police arrested more than 60 people during the protests as onlookers shouted, "Don't be scared!" as the demonstrators were being loaded on buses.
The Civil Human Rights Front, which is responsible for organizing some of the city's largest protests during last year's political uprising, applied for the Thursday rally hiding behind the pretense of "Save 12 HK Youths," referencing the dozen of protesters who police arrested at sea.
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