A man walks past a banner with pictures depicting (from left) Hong Kong鈥檚 former chief executives Leung Chun-ying and Tung Chee-Hwa, China鈥檚 President Xi Jinping and Hong Kong鈥檚 Chief Executive Carrie Lam during an annual National Day pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong on October 1, 2018. AFP
HONG KONG, China 鈥� Protesters marched in Hong Kong Monday against suppression by Beijing as fears grow that freedoms in the semi-autonomous city are seriously under threat.
Official numbers were way down on last year鈥檚 event with organisers estimating 1,500 had turned out, compared with tens of thousands in 2017.
But an AFP journalist at the scene estimated slightly higher, although crowds Monday were visibly smaller than the previous year.
The pro-democracy protest comes a week after Hong Kong banned a pro-independence party on the grounds it was a threat to national security, the first time a political party has been prohibited since the city was handed back to China by Britain in 1997.
The emergence of an independence movement calling for Hong Kong to split from China has incensed Beijing as it emphasises the importance of territorial integrity and has led to a crackdown on political expression.
Leading pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong said he feared his party, Demosisto, could be next because it promotes self-determination for Hong Kong.
One high-profile Demosisto candidate was already barred from a recent by-election.
鈥淲e need to protect and defend the freedom of association in Hong Kong,鈥� Wong, 21, told AFP at the rally.
Independence supporters were initially blocked by police from entering the square at the end point of the march, but the crowd managed to push through. The rally dispersed around 6:00 pm (1000 GMT).
The pro-democracy protest is held every October 1, China鈥檚 National Day, which marks the communist party鈥檚 establishment of the People鈥檚 Republic of China.
But despite many residents鈥� dissatisfaction with China鈥檚 growing influence, the numbers attending the city鈥檚 traditional street protests have shrunk since massive 2014 pro-democracy rallies failed to win reform.
Yuet Wong, a 21-year-old student, said there was a sense of powerlessness among young people, particularly after the disqualification of elected pro-democracy legislators, but said she was still motivated to come out.
鈥淓ven if we can鈥檛 achieve anything immediately, we want to show the government we won鈥檛 be compromised and won鈥檛 be silent,鈥� she told AFP.
Totalitarian agenda聽
Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen on the mainland including freedom of speech but there are growing fears those are being eroded.
There are also concerns that the city will introduce a controversial anti-subversion law designed to protect China鈥檚 national security and potentially put freedoms at further risk.
鈥淭hey talk about national security, but what about our security? They don鈥檛 care about that,鈥� said a 50-year-old office worker who gave her name as Miss Hau.
鈥淭oday they say we can鈥檛 talk about A, but tomorrow they might say we can鈥檛 talk about B, and in the end we won鈥檛 be able to talk about anything,鈥� she told AFP.
Other protesters criticised the government鈥檚 鈥渢otalitarian agenda鈥�.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, appointed by a pro-Beijing committee,聽said in an official address Monday that Hong Kong must 鈥渇irmly uphold China鈥檚 sovereignty, security and development interests.鈥�
Critics say Hong Kong is being subsumed into mainland China via perks and infrastructure projects designed to blur boundaries.
Last month saw the opening of a multi-billion-dollar high-speed rail link to the mainland, with part of the Hong Kong station coming under Chinese law.
A long-delayed mega-bridge between Hong Kong and southern China is set to open later this month./ee
Agence France-Presse