Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Hong Kong police stop activists from joining women's march

Police officers stand guard where a cancelled march for women's rights was scheduled to take place in Hong Kong, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Police officers stand guard where a cancelled march for women's rights was scheduled to take place in Hong Kong, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)
Share
HONG KONG -

A Hong Kong pro-democracy group on Sunday said the national security police stopped activists from joining a highly-anticipated protest that was canceled last minute by the organizer.

The League of Social Democrats said police questioned four of its members on Friday and warned them not to participate in the march that was planned by the Hong Kong Women Workers' Association.

"The League of Social Democrats is very angry about being threatened and hindered by the national security police over joining a legal protest. But it has decided to be absent under such pressure," the group said

Police said in an email response to The Associated Press that when they take any action, they handle it "in accordance to the actual situation and the law."

The planned event would have been the first major civil rights protest in three years approved by police and the first after the lifting of major COVID-19 restrictions, including the mask mandate.

During the pandemic, major protests were rare under anti-virus controls. In addition, many activists have been silenced or jailed after China's central government imposed a sweeping national security law following massive protests in 2019.

On Saturday night, the women's association announced in a Facebook post that it had regrettably decided to call off the march that planned to call for labor and women's rights, and gender equality, without specifying why. It did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.

Half an hour later, Acting Senior Superintendent Dennis Cheng said in a news briefing that the organizer notified them they would cancel the march after weighing the pros and cons.

Asked if the police had told the organizer to cancel the protest to avoid embarrassing Beijing during the annual session of China's rubber-stamp parliament, Cheng said police respected the organizer's decision and believe it had struck the balance. He refused to comment further.

Cheng said that some violent groups wanted to join the protest and warned the public against taking part. He did not identify the groups. The police letter of approval for the protest was then ruled invalid and authorities warned that anyone who attempts to assemble on Sunday would be considered to be joining an unauthorized rally.

In Beijing, meanwhile, Premier Li Keqiang said that China had made fresh progress in work related to Hong Kong and exercised overall jurisdiction over the southern city.

Critics say China has eroded freedoms promised to Hong Kong's political, social and financial institutions at the handover from Britain in 1997.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

It’s 1998. Google was just born, and dial-up was the primary way to connect to the Internet. New sites were being developed daily on any number of topics, from recipes to shopping. David Yanciw, however, was thinking big - big things, that is.

Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

The two people who died in a major fire in Old Montreal on Friday were a mother and her seven-year-old daughter, sources told Noovo Info.

The Ministry of Labour is investigating a workplace incident that claimed the lives of two people in Georgian Bluffs, south of Owen Sound.

NEW THIS MORNING

NEW THIS MORNING

New data shows the automated speed enforcement camera on King Edward Avenue, between Bolton Street and St. Patrick Street, issued 6,337 speeding tickets in August, the highest number of tickets issued by Ottawa's 40 photo radar cameras.

Local Spotlight

Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.