On April 3, 2023 at 12:12 am, a group of Hong Kong citizens exercised their “freedom of assembly” by participating in a parade. Each participant wore a number plate around their neck, and under the supervision of numerous police officers, they marched while chanting pre-approved slogans. In the past two weekends, there have been over ten rallies and parades in Hong Kong, the first batch after the lifting of the “restriction order” of the epidemic.
The police imposed unprecedented requirements on the parades, including strict regulations on the attire of participants and provisions of the National Security Law. Some organizers described the relevant restrictions as absurd and extremely insulting, comparing them to “Jews wearing armbands.”
The police defended the identification number plates, stating they do not contain derogatory or discriminatory meanings and criticized those who referred to them as a “dog leash” or “deliberately smearing the police.” However, some scholars predict that the police’s restrictive measures will become normalized and ultimately change the parade culture in Hong Kong.
Most of the rallies and parades held on April 2 were religious in nature, with celebrations and fundraising activities. The police imposed national security clauses on every activity to ensure compliance with the “Hong Kong National Security Law” and imposed dress restrictions on certain events. For example, participants in the “Welcome to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou” rally and parade, and the Easter celebration parade, were required to wear a conference shirt, identification stickers, or hats and badges provided by the organizer.
During a demonstration against reclamation on March 26, the police required all participants to wear number plates, prohibited the wearing of masks and black clothes, and limited the maximum number of people to 100. The parade was surrounded, and citizens were not allowed to join, and media were not permitted to interview during the parade. Participants felt insulted at being labeled as “pigs raised in captivity” and “Jews wearing armbands.”
According to Article 27 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong residents enjoy freedom of assembly, procession, and demonstration. However, some experts predict that the related restrictive measures will eventually become normalized, changing the parade culture in Hong Kong. Critics have questioned the proportionality of the police’s restrictions and their ultimate goal of a real-name system for parades.
A group of people was surrounded by a blockade, and a number plate was hung around their necks. Each participant had an individual number. They marched under the supervision of numerous police officers, chanting pre-approved slogans.
These are not criminals parading in the streets, but Hong Kong citizens who are exercising their “freedom of assembly”. This scene appeared in Hong Kong, which used to be known as the “parade capital”, and caused an uproar from all walks of life.
In the past two weekends, there have been more than ten rallies and parades in Hong Kong. They are the first batch after the lifting of the “restriction order” of the epidemic. Notification” activities.
The police imposed unprecedented requirements, including strict regulations on the attire of participants and the inclusion of provisions of the National Security Law. Some organizers described the relevant restrictions as absurd and extremely insulting, and the listing was like “Jews wearing armbands.”
Deng Bingqiang, director of the Hong Kong government’s security bureau, responded that the identification does not contain derogatory or discriminatory meanings, emphasizing that it will not settle accounts after the fall. He criticized some people for describing the hanging sign as “dog leash” and “deliberately smearing the police”.
Some scholars predict that the police’s restrictive measures will become normalized and change the parade culture in Hong Kong in the long run.
“City of Parades” has new rules
image source,Getty Images
The police asked the marchers to pull the cordon to self-enclose. The participants said they felt extremely insulted
Most of the rallies and parades on April 2 were religious in nature, celebrations and fundraising activities. The police impose national security clauses on every activity, stating that they must comply with the “Hong Kong National Security Law” to ensure that it will not constitute a detriment to national security.
Authorities have imposed dress restrictions on certain events, such as the “Welcome to the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou” rally and parade hosted by the Hangzhou Hong Kong Association, and the Easter celebration parade organized by the Harbourfront Affairs Committee of the Development Bureau. All participants are required to Wear a conference shirt, identification stickers, or hats and badges provided by the organizer.
A number of churches hold “Palm Sunday” parades, and participants must hold palm branches during the event. In addition, there are at least 5 activities where the police require participants to abide by the “Prohibition of Face Covering Regulations” and are not allowed to wear masks.
A week ago, on March 26, residents of Tseung Kwan O in the New Territories launched a demonstration against reclamation. The police required all participants to wear number plates, prohibited wearing masks and black clothes, and lowered the maximum number of people to 100. During the process, the entire parade was surrounded. Citizens were not allowed to join the parade, and the media were not allowed to interview during the parade.
The organizer Chen Zhanjun criticized the unreasonable practice on the radio program afterward. The participants felt labeled as “pigs raised in captivity” and “Jews wearing armbands”.
Chen revealed that the police checked all the housing estate notices, Facebook posts and slogans related to the parade in advance, “every banner (banner) has to be read.” He asked, “It takes so much to approve the parade. After all, is there a new interpretation of the rights granted to us by the Basic Law?”
Will the “listing parade” be normalized?
image source,Getty Images
The organizer originally applied for a parade of 300 people, but the police limited the number of people to 100, preventing citizens outside the procession from joining
According to Article 27 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong residents enjoy freedom of association, assembly, procession and demonstration.
Security Secretary Tang Bingqiang was asked whether the conditions of “listing” and other parade conditions would become normalized. He said that the society is apparently calm, but there are still people who want to “stir up trouble” while activities are held, and do acts that endanger public safety. He said that the authorities will conduct a risk assessment in response to the new social environment and will take effective measures if necessary.
Zhong Jianhua, a Hong Kong social policy and public administration scholar, pointed out to the BBC Chinese analysis that in the past, Hong Kong’s civil society flourished, and citizens could fully express their opinions. At present, there is no legal basis for the police to expand their powers. The “Guoan” hat suppresses critical voices.
He predicted that the relevant restrictive measures would become the norm in the long run to change the parade culture in Hong Kong. “I want to slowly develop a perception that you have to accept that the police will read your slogans, have you hang out, and even require your real name. In this way, political appeals cannot be expressed without hesitation, and there will be no demonstrations against the government. Let’s talk about those activities that echo the government—by then he (the Hong Kong government) can tell the world that there is still freedom of assembly in Hong Kong, it’s just that those (anti-government) people don’t do it themselves.”
In the week before Deng Bingqiang set his tone, the mainstream media in Hong Kong questioned the police arrangement.
The march was supervised by police video
The Hong Kong Economic Journal political column “Yu Kam-yin” pointed out that the restrictions imposed by the police ignored “proportionality”. The article quoted pro-democracy figures as saying that worrying about “listing” is only the first step, and the real-name system for parades is the ultimate goal of the police. He also pointed out that the relevant targeted clauses are equivalent to adding a negative label to the word “parade” and depriving participants of their “freedom from fear.”
The editorial of “Ming Pao” pointed out that the police have overcorrected, their practices are strange, and the parade is poorly viewed. It is completely understandable if the participants feel insulted. , to be snickered by others”.
The online media “Hong Kong 01” also commented that the perception of listing and blockade is not ideal objectively. “Excessive regulation of rallies and processions may be safe and have the highest safety factor, but it will not help the society to resolve grievances at all.” Officials should “look directly at the problem and answer the society” when facing public grievances.
China’s official media Hong Kong China News Agency published an article by Gao Songjie, a pro-establishment faction, saying, “You must wear an employee ID card at work and a name tag at an event.” legal decision”.
The parade culture in Hong Kong is facing a significant shift, as the police implement unprecedented requirements on participants, including wearing number plates and strict dress codes. Some are predicting that these measures will become normalized, changing the nature of protests and demonstrations in the city. While authorities argue that such restrictions are necessary to ensure national security, critics argue that they infringe upon the rights of citizens to exercise their freedom of assembly. As Hong Kong adjusts to this new reality, it remains to be seen how the city’s traditional culture of protest will evolve in the coming years.