Hong Kong police used a colonial-era law intended to protect the British monarchy to arrest a man near a memorial for Queen Elizabeth II.
(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong police used a colonial-era law intended to protect the British monarchy to arrest a man near a memorial for Queen Elizabeth II.
A 43-year-old man was detained late Monday “on suspicion of committing an act with seditious intent” on a road near Britain’s consulate, police said in a statement on Tuesday.
Police didn’t offer details on why he was arrested. Videos posted online Monday night showed people attending the memorial singing “Glory to Hong Kong,” the unofficial anthem of protesters during the historic and sometimes violent unrest that shook the financial hub in 2019.
Hong Kongers have been lining up for hours in recent days to sign a condolence book for the Queen at the consulate and leave flowers on the sidewalk. Some have waved British flags and posted signs reading “I love Hong Kong.”
The consulate said earlier on Twitter that it was extending its opening hours because wait times could be more than three hours. It warned people to wear clothing appropriate for the hot weather.
The consulate did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the arrest.
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The 1938 Crimes Ordinance the man was arrested under defines sedition as speech or publications bringing hate or contempt to “Her Majesty, her heirs or successors” or the government.
Authorities in Hong Kong — which once guaranteed free speech — have arrested at least 60 people under the law since September 2020 as part of a crackdown on dissent that has sent scores of journalists, politicians and civil society figures to prison.
The sedition law was ignored for decades but the city has been using it in tandem with national security legislation Beijing imposed on the city in 2020. Beijing defends the changes it has made in Hong Kong, including a revamp of the electoral system to ensure only loyalists can govern, as necessary to restore order and economic progress.
Internet users in China have been critical of expressions of sympathy for the Queen, whose state funeral was held Monday. One target of their ire was Hong Kong actress Carina Lau, who posted messages of condolences on social media platforms.
One person asked on the Twitter-like Weibo service whether it was Chinese to be sad about the Queen’s death.
Hong Kong Cantonese opera star Law Kar-ying apologized on Weibo and declared himself a patriot after he was attacked on Weibo for praising the Queen.
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