Hong Kong Police Ban July 1 Sovereignty Handover Commemoration Rally for the First Time in 23 Years

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] For the first time since the 1997 Hong Kong sovereignty handover, the annual sovereignty handover commemorative rally (July 1) organized by Hong Kong's civil society groups has been banned.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) and others on the 28th, the Hong Kong police announced that they would not permit the July 1 sovereignty handover commemorative rally applied for by the Civil Human Rights Front, a civil society group that has led large-scale protests in Hong Kong.

The sovereignty handover commemorative rally, held annually since the 1997 Hong Kong sovereignty handover, holds great symbolic significance for Hong Kong's civil society.

In 2003, when the Hong Kong government pushed for the enactment of the National Security Law, 500,000 Hong Kong citizens took to the streets on July 1 of the same year, shouting "Oppose the National Security Law," leading to the cancellation of the bill.

On July 1 last year, 550,000 Hong Kong citizens flooded the streets to protest against the 'Fugitive Offenders Ordinance' (extradition bill).

The police cited social distancing policies in response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and concerns about social unrest as reasons for banning the rally. Although the Hong Kong government has gradually eased social distancing policies as the COVID-19 spread has subsided, gatherings or rallies with more than 50 participants are still not permitted.

In response, the Civil Human Rights Front proposed a July 1 rally plan reflecting social distancing policies by forming small groups based on age or address to attend the rally, but the police did not accept this.

Since the 1997 sovereignty handover, Hong Kong police have continuously allowed annual protests such as the May 1 Labor Day rally and the June 4 Tiananmen democracy rally, but this year they are not permitting any of these events at all. The Hong Kong police also banned anti-Hong Kong National Security Law rallies planned by opposition district councilors on this day and July 1, and the councilors decided to cancel the rallies.

This is analyzed as possibly reflecting the Chinese central government's desire to monitor the 'mood' regarding the forced implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law. Due to the police's tough response, the intense Hong Kong protests of last year seem to be losing momentum recently.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.