Hongkongers leave for UK on Security Law anniv.

There were emotional scenes at Hong Kong's international airport on Wednesday as citizens of the semi-autonomous Chinese city bade farewell to family and friends and flew off to start a new life in Britain.

It came a year after China imposed a strict new national security law in the city, eroding civil liberties that raised hopes for more democracy among many of its seven million people.

Some say China's encroachment on their way of life has become unbearable, and they want to seek a better future for their children abroad.