Hong Kong police arrests over 100 people for protesting against proposed security law

At least 120 people were arrested on Sunday by the Hong Kong Police for protesting against the 'National Security Law' proposed by China. The police arrested the protestors from Causeway Bay and Wan Chai areas where they stormed the busy roads and set debris on fire.

"At least 120 people had been arrested, mostly for unlawful assembly. A large number of 'thugs' have carried out illegal violence in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai (districts) under the name of demonstrations. The thugs not only stormed into the road where vehicles were still travelling but also set fire to debris," the Hong Kong Police said on social media Facebook in Mandarin.

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The Hong Kong police had to fire volleys of tear gas to disperse the demonstrators on Sunday gathered at the Causeway Bay, a popular shopping district. 

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NCP expected to vote on bill soon

At the annual National People's Congress (NPC), China's ruling Communist Party on Friday proposed the controversial legislation. The NPC is expected to vote on the bill at the end of the annual session, which is likely to wrap up on May 28.

Referring to the newly proposed national security legislation for the semi-autonomous city, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the issue of Hong Kong's security needs to be resolved without any delay. "All this put the state security at serious risk, and also became a threat to the prosperity of Hong Kong and the implementation of the 'one country, two systems' principle," Wang said during a press briefing on Sunday.

READ | Hong Kong police fire tear gas as thousands protest against China's new security law

Violent protests engulfed Hong Kong last year, starting in June. Numerous demonstrators took to the streets to protest a proposed extradition bill, but later, the unpopular measure was withdrawn in October. 

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(With agency inputs)