A thread with some observations about the new HK National Security Law, tweeting out live as I read it. (The full text is available via the HK Govt Gazette here: gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/2…) The "Subversion" crime is very wide-ranging and alarming: it includes any attempt to "serious interfere, obstruct or damage" Central Govt OR HK Govt agencies carrying out their functions: 嚴重干擾、阻撓、破壞中華人民共和國中央政權機關 或者香港特別行政區政權機關依法履行職能

THREAD: Martin Lee, 81yo democratic party founder, said "he was prosecuted under the suspicion of organising & participating in an unauthorised march at Victoria Park on August 18" last year. LET'S LOOK BACK at what that August 18 protest was like. 1/5 hongkongfp.com/2020/04/18/8-h… The gathering was HUGE & entirely peaceful. Hundreds of thousands turned out in pouring rain. Even by the police count (traditionally underestimated) 128k took part. Organisers said 1m+. HK "celebrated" this weekend as the only tear gas-free weekend. 2/5
hongkongfp.com/2019/08/18/bre…

Ok so a sequence of things just happened: At Mody Rd Garden where some protesters had fled, dozens of raptor riot police suddenly rushed in firing pepper pellets. When the protesters were chased by the police across Salisbury Rd. where all the “school bus” cars are backed up waiting to ferry protesters, all the cars started tooting their horns to distract the police.

Crowds are out in force in Central again this lunchtime. Bank of Communications branch is “refurbished”; bricks being relocated from pavement to road. Crowd chants 香港人報仇！ “HKers, revenge!” Roads in Central being “Stonehenged”

Impossible to capture the scale of the protests at @hkairport right now as they fill the entirety of the vast arrivals hall. Slogans being chanted by the crowd include “I want genuine universal suffrage” 我要真普選

A VIDEO THREAD: How did HK protesters use hand signals & human chains to get supplies quickly to front lines on Monday? Here, they need more helmets at the front line at LegCo doors. What to do? The hand signal for “helmets” is passed from the front line through the crowd... The “helmets” hand signal ripples onwards through the crowd from outside LegCo, around the corner and along the supply chain running several hundred meters down the length of Tim Mei Ave...