Hong Kong's pro-democracy, anti-government
protests were back in full force Sunday for the first time since COVID-19 lockdowns began, while riot
police fired tear gas on the crowds for the first time in weeks.Thousands of mostly young people took to the streets just days after
China signaled it planned to directly impose national security laws against subversion, sedition and terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces on the city. The demonstrators believe Beijing's plan to bypass Hong Kong's local government and legislature violated the "one country, two systems" agreement it signed with the
United Kingdom during a territorial exchange in 1997. The plan is backed by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam but faced international condemnation.China has denied the move will affect Hong Kong's autonomy, but many of the
protesters now think independence — considered a red line by
Beijing — is the only way forward. "I think this is the termination of one country, two systems," one protester told The Wall Street Journal. "Hong Kong is lost. The most important thing is to fight back against the Communist Party." Read more at The Wall Street Journal and Reuters.More stories from theweek.com There's always a bigger scandal How pandemics change society
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