Latest: After 289 people were arrested in #HongKong on Sunday, it seems obvious that #Beijing is targeting #HK's protest culture with the #NSL. I talked to @jwassers and @galileocheng to get their perspectives on how #HK people can adapt to the new reality.dw.com/en/chinas-infl…
Although this weekend's demonstrations are similar to what Hong Kong experienced last year, experts pointed out that the legal landscape has changed dramatically. ""Last year, there were still cases in which protests were authorized, whereas none have been recently," said Jeff.
"The reason given has been the pandemic, but COVID-19 is not raging in Hong Kong right now. The police are turning a blind eye toward other kinds of gatherings," Wasserstrom said, adding that the number of permitted protests will be far fewer in the future.
Sunday's protest was relatively small. However, the number of arrests was similar to that seen during last year's large-scale demonstrations.
Galileo Cheng told DW that those who were still willing to join yesterday's protest, despite the national security law and the ban on public gathering, were well-prepared and more aggressive than normal protesters.
"Until a permitted protest would be able to take place, such impromptu rallies could still happen if someone is willing to come out and organize one," Cheng said, adding that many peaceful protesters have been deterred by the pandemic and new rules not permitting demonstrations.
Since Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in July, Hong Kong police have widened criteria for arrest. Several prominent pro-democracy figures have been targeted, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai and former Demosisto member Agnes Chow.
Wasserstrom said the national security law has given Hong Kong authorities more power to arrest people. "There was already a sense last year that the police felt few limits on their actions, ...
... as the chief executive refused to criticize their actions or carry out an impartial investigation of the police."
"Now there is a strong sense of a police force that feels it has carte blanche to do whatever it pleases. An important test will be how long a degree of judicial independence remains and how long the press is able to report," he added.
Judicial independence and press freedom distinguish Hong Kong from cities in China's mainland. But Wasserman said that the gap is increasingly narrowing.
The national security law has started to affect how far people are willing to go in criticizing Hong Kong's government, whether it is stores removing protest materials, self-censorship on social media, or the reduced scale of protests.
However, Galileo Cheng pointed out that yesterday's protests featured slogans and signs that have been deemed illegal under the law. "Protesters who came out seemed to have adapted to how the government and police enforce the national security law and decided to take the risk."
Wasserstrom said that although Beijing has been trying to transform Hong Kong into a mainland-style Chinese city, Hong Kongers have been able to push back.
"They have even won some victories, stopping efforts to curtail local freedoms," he said, adding that protest has become more complicated.
"The space for resistance is shrinking and the punishments are getting more severe. Lately, it has been harder to win even the smallest victories.
Subtler forms of resistance may well become the norm; small ways of showing an unwillingness to accept the loss of things that make Hong Kong distinctive," said Dr. Wasserstrom.
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