Hong Kong's embattled leader insisted a new measure banning masks at rallies was not a move toward authoritarian rule or at the behest of the Chinese government, which signaled its approval shortly after she implemented the toughened response to quell four months of increasingly violent protests.
International observers worried, however, that Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's use of the Emergency Ordinance — last invoked more than 50 years ago — could lead to harsher measures that would limit free expression in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Lam announced the measure Friday afternoon as thousands of masked
protesters crammed streets in the central business district and staged demonstrations in other areas of the city, shouting "Hong Kong people, resist!" They set fires and vandalized subway stations, prompting
police to respond with tear gas.