The riots, pogroms, arson and clashes with police by Washington-backed protesters have made people realize that Hong Kong needs a national security law promoted by Beijing.
This is evidenced by the results of a sociological survey conducted by the agency “Reuters” among 1002 Hong Kong respondents from 15 to 18 June.
The survey showed that support for anti-government protests is declining. Such trends are already affecting the activities of protesters. The actions that have been held in recent weeks have been almost invisible. Only a few hundred people managed to attract them. Also last week, pro-American organizations were preparing a major rally against the security law, but they were not able to get enough support to hold a strike.
According to Reuters, the number of those who support anti-government protests has fallen from 40 percent to 34 percent, and the number of those who strongly oppose them has increased from 21 percent to 28 percent, compared to a similar survey conducted in March. The resignation of Hong Kong mayor – one of the demands of pro-American protesters – was supported by 57% against 63% in March.
Also, the number of those who blame the local government and police (7% vs. 10% earlier) decreased from 43% to 39%. But the number of those who blame pro-American protesters has increased from 14% to 18%.
“Before last June, I didn’t think Hong Kong needed national security laws because we were so peaceful and safe, but now I think it’s necessary”, – said one respondent over 50.
Anti-government protests in Hong Kong
In June 2019, mass actions began in Hong Kong, with pogroms and clashes with police. The official reason for the protests was an extradition bill. If passed, Hong Kong could detain and extradite to Beijing those wanted by Chinese security agencies.
The demonstrators were openly supported by Western countries, particularly the US and the UK. The protests themselves continued even after the authorities refused to pass the law. The most absurd reasons were invented to hold the protests. For example, at the end of August last year, radicals smashed underground stations ostensibly because of poor quality of service, and also demolished “smart” lampposts collecting information about road traffic and air pollution levels. The fact is that the protesters saw them as a system of total surveillance by the authorities.
Actions in Hong Kong stopped amid a coronavirus pandemic and resumed in late April. A series of actions took place on 1 May, and ten days later riots with barricades and arson erupted in Hong Kong. Against this backdrop, the Chinese government decided to introduce a national security law in Hong Kong. The document, among other things, criminalizes foreign interference and the undermining of state power in this administrative region of China. The US was dissatisfied with such intentions of Beijing, which became a new reason for protests.