Sunday’s events come just days before China’s annual parliament is set to meet later this week for the National People’s Congress. Beijing is expected to be announcing significant changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system, having said in recent weeks that only \"Patriots\" can run for office.
Beijing is also likely to tout the success of the security law as protests have died down since it came into effect.
Officials say the law is necessary to restore stability after mass protests gripped the semi-autonomous city for months in 2019, mounting one of the biggest challenges to China’s Communist Party rule in decades.
However, the legislation has come under intense criticism from the international community, with the U.S. and the European Union saying the law stifles freedoms meant to be guaranteed under the \"one country, two systems\" arrangement.
Prominent activists already in custody include media tycoon Jimmy Lai and 25-year-old Agnes Chow, while many others have fled the city.
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ABC News
PHOTO: Monday’s lively gathering was a rarity in Hong Kong these days, as demonstrations have died down since Covid-19 restrictions and the national security law came into force.
