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🔥@AppleDaily_HK on the 1st anniversary of the protests. Police have refused permission for a rally on 612; the day police instigated the violence. Instead an ‘exhibition of resistance’ across HK is planned, with organisers calling for HKers to ‘遍地開花’ - ‘blossom everywhere’.
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Riot police pressed a man (apparently a bystander) against a tram stop and pulled at his clothes at the protest in central before arresting him. HK police marking the first anniversary of the protests as you would expect. Vid: HSUSU
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Riot police have pepper sprayed & fired pepper balls at protestors and bystanders on Queens Road & Des Voeux Road as demonstrators mark the first anniversary of the protests. Several people have also been wrestled to the ground & arrested.📸: Apple Daily, Stand News.
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Riot police just charged down Pedder Street and into an entrance to Central MTR station, barring reporters from entry and sealing off the exit. Possible there is some kind of disturbance inside the station. Vid: 恒大編委報導/HSUSU
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Awesome shots as ever from @StandNewsHK from tonight’s protest in central. Saw scenes of police brutality as we’ve come to expect, with a decent crowd size & pro-democracy tycoon Jerome Lau Ting-sing flashing ‘5 demands not one less’ hand gestures in one of his inimitable shirts.
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Gruesome Stand News photos emerging of reporters in agony after being pepper sprayed by riot police, which occurs at virtually every protest now.
The official HK Police press release claims officers "deployed the minimum necessary force to enforce the law" tonight. What a farce.
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Well over half of British voters (56%) support giving BNO passport holders from HK the right to live & work in the UK with a pathway to citizenship, with just 12% opposed. Support across parties too - Tory voters 57%, Labour 57%, Lib Dems 65%.
Fantastic.
redfieldandwiltonstrategies.com/widespread-sup…
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The Hong Kong Police are setting up a dedicated unit to enforce the national security law “the very first day” the legislation comes into effect — security minister John Lee.
This shows how the nat sec law will be taken by the HK govt. Deeply worrying.
scmp.com/news/hong-kong…
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British HK Police officer Rupert Dover has casually admitted to the SCMP that he gave the order to use force & fire tear gas that started this entire saga on 612. Extraordinary.
A sell-out who betrayed the U.K. & turned enforcer for a brutal dictatorship.
scmp.com/news/hong-kong…
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Breaking: Oriental Daily (東方日報) reports Jimmy Lai, Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho & Richard Tsoi have been charged with inciting illegal assembly over the banned 6.4 Tiananmen memorial vigil.
We’re truly entering an Orwellian era in HK now, be in no doubt.
hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/new…
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A further 9 pro-democracy activists have been charged with ‘inciting illegal assembly’ over the 6.4 Tiananmen vigil incl. legislator Andrew Wan, Labour Party Chair Steven Kwok & the LSD’s Figo Chan.
Clear Beijing now moving to crush all dissent in HK.
thestandnews.com/politics/%E8%A…
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Protestors are gathering across HK to mark police initiating the violence on 612 last year. Protests all banned so an ‘exhibition of resistance’ is underway; organisers calling for HKers to ‘遍地開花’ — ‘blossom everywhere’.
Lots of undercover police so be careful if you’re out.
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Large crowd in Kwun Tong as people gather across HK to mark the police initiating the violence one year ago on 612.
Police have denied permission for all protests & have already raised the blue flag (warning they will use force) in MK, Central & CWB as of 20:30. Vid: Telegram
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Footage has emerged of the moment heroic protestors & bystanders apprehended a pro-Beijing knifeman who attempted to attack journalists & stabbed a man who prevented him from doing so. Going on the police’s past form there’s a good chance he won’t even face charges. Vid: Telegram twitter.com/lokinhei/statu…
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Breaking: Ming Pao (明報) reports the knifeman who attacked journalists & protestors today; stabbing a pro-democracy demonstrator in the process is Kwong Sing-yu, an ex-staff member of the hardline pro-Beijing DAB, the largest pro-🇨🇳 political party in HK.
news.mingpao.com/ins/%e6%b8%af%…
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Today’s @appledaily_hk leads with the father of protestor Leung speaking a year after his passing. He urges HK’s young people to take care & thanks those who have fought for democracy for their courage, ending with the name of the prostestors’ anthem: “may glory be to Hong Kong”.
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Large crowds have gathered outside Pacific Place to mark the first anniversary since protestor Leung's passing. On their official FB page, the HK Police have stated the gathering constitutes an illegal assembly & have warned participants to leave immediately. Pics: Stand News.
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Poignant photos of mourners outside Pacific Place by student journalists from HSU. Slogans on the cards left by people include:
“May we mourn for Leung, may we mourn for freedom.”
“We will keep fighting. Justice, freedom, democracy.”
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The Hong Kong government is literally instituting a secret police to enforce draconian new national security laws once they have railroaded them through LegCo.
Orwellian doesn’t cut it. One country two systems going up in smoke as Hong Kong looks into the abyss. twitter.com/rthk_enews/sta…
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Today marks the first anniversary since the 616 march, the largest protest in HK’s history. Organisers estimated a monstrous crowd of 2 million +1 people marched. The +1 references protestor Leung, who’s passing the day prior inspired many who would not normally protest to do so.
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Carrie Lam: Opponents of the national security law are enemies of the people.
Ming Pao poll: 64% agree the law will undermine one country two systems & HK's status as an intl financial centre; 24% disagree.
...so the people are the enemies of the people?
news.mingpao.com/ins/%e6%b8%af%… twitter.com/alvinllum/stat…
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Update: Top British HK Police officer Rupert Dover’s property scandals never seem to end - @AppleDaily_HK has now revealed Dover’s been illegally occupying & building on government land to connect an adjacent property to his house & construct a garden. hk.appledaily.com/local/20200617… twitter.com/JackHHazlewood…
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Horrifying development - becoming clear Beijing’s mulling a monstrous national security law-extradition bill amalgamation in which HKers could face nat sec charges in the mainland - & per pro-🇨🇳 paper 成報 - the *death penalty*. We still don’t know the details of the legislation. twitter.com/rthk_enews/sta…
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HKJA survey shows 98% of Hong Kong journalists are opposed to the proposed new national security law, with 92% believing it will threaten their personal safety.
With rumours still flying over what the draft legislation might include, who can blame them?
sc.mp/x8wkp
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Today the HK national security law was submitted to the NPCSC for review. As already approved by the NPC (officially "the highest organ of state power" under the 🇨🇳 Constitution) it could be implemented rapidly, perhaps within days. HK's reckoning awaits. thestandnews.com/politics/%E4%B…
前蘋果日報專欄作家. Words/investigations @TheSundayTimes @Telegraph @TheEconomist @ForeignPolicy @Australian etc, docs @PopularFront_