or for the very latest from hong kong let's cross over to tom grundy he's editor in chief of the hong kong free press web site john thanks for being with us sir tell us what's the situation in hong kong today just a few hours ago we saw of course in anagrams in the local parliament that somebody pro-democracy lawmaker threw a rotting plant on the floor and just in the last hour or so we've seen a few more protests crop up in the central business district people chanting pro-democracy slogans that's despite about 360 arrests yesterday some of them schoolchildren in uniform pepper spray pepper balls as you mentioned a huge police security operations surrounding the legislature as it debated that controversial national anthem law and then we saw the pattern that was chase is right the shopping and extends well into the night with protesters trying to invade some of the roads wired to make sure barricades but it seems the police very much have the upper hand at the moment they're very compact and there's been a huge police presence on the streets in the last couple of days now today autho

tom grundy is editor in chief of the hong kong free press website we asked him what sort of pushback we're likely to see from beijing if these protests escalate. when we hear these murmurings sometimes of military intervention in fact the there is a garrison in hong kong of the pair lay but it seems that this at this nuclear option of inserting these laws into hong kong's basic law will enable the local authorities and even some security agents from the mainland to to enforce this it seems perhaps at 1st to be targeted and pro independence of the kurds and perhaps front line protesters but the fear is it may expand to n.g.o.s even media like us or or even mainstream democrats and then possibly cross-tab richmond figures who who might not be falling in line but certainly we've got some key dates coming up 10 of the massacre anniversary pro-democracy protests due on july 1st song sure there will be further protests in the next couple of months before this law kicks in. tom grundy from the hong kong free press now if you can you were to record 123 new coronavirus cases happening to you

let's go straight to the territory that will join tom grundy who's editor in chief of the hong kong free press website welcome to day w m i suppose the big question here is other countries have similar laws against desecrating their national anthems or their flags while hong kong are so concerned about this proposal well democrats of deem this the death of hong kong the encroachments that they've seen in recent days by beijing the difference is i guess that this anthem law could see you jailed for 3 years along with a very hefty fine and on top of that although that's being debated in the legislature the national security law will be inserted directly into the city's mini constitution and that will balance addition successions a version and in china we know that these laws are applied very broadly and they're worded very vaguely to silence dissenters so this being a free city where freedom of the press freedom of expression freedom of speech are all meant to be guaranteed it has a lot of residents democrats activists and companies very concerned. we're safer from the film that we've just

right let's get an update on the story now we can speak to tom grundy editor in chief of hong kong free press tom thanks for joining us you are currently on the streets where protests as we understand have been escalating give us an idea of what's been happening. well a bit of us tense standoff at the moment in montauk we're up to about a 240 arrests some of them children in uniform we've seen pepper balls have to spray been fired by police we understand 3500 officers the quoit in this huge security operation today with alleged or surrounded by water. and now it seems we may be descending as we have for the day and so sort of. situation between the protesters and the police as monk called the shopping districts of calls a day and the central districts central business district became sort of giant. of the police and protesters giving chase but a lot so arrests today with them being loaded on to at least vans tom we understand that protesters today are protesting against this national anthem law and we don't do know that other countries also criminalize desecrating the flag or the nation

and earlier i spoke to tom grundy editor in chief of hong kong free press she's been following the protests and standoff with police. while a bit of us can stand up at the moment and we're up to about a 240 arrests some of them children in uniform we've seen pepper balls have to spray been fired by police we understand 3500 officers the quoit in this huge security operation today with alleged they're surrounded by water. and now it seems we may be descending as we have throughout the day in some sort of. situation between the protesters and the police as monk called the shopping districts of polls a day and the central districts central business district became sort of giant. of the police and protesters giving chase but a lot so arrests today with them being loaded on to at least. tom we understand that protesters today are protesting against this national anthem long we don't do know that other countries also criminalize desecrating the flag or the national anthem so why are they out protesting this law today. well the difference is in hong kong this law is passed as it most certainly wel

tom grundy is the editor in chief & founder of hong kong free press, an independent news outlet in the on the ground is tense. i am just hearing some shouting now with police sweeping into the causeway bay shopping district. it has been a full day, about four or five hours of cat and mouse chases throughout what is usually a very busy district of hong kong. police have fired tear gas, pepper spray, they have deployed the water cannon and protesters, you can see behind me, they have been making makeshift barricades, some of them are still gathered here. the police tactic is to try and split everybody into smaller groups and prevent them from marching on to causeway bay. this originally was meant to be a protest of the national anthem law, which could see people jailed for not singing the national anthem, but it seems it is quickly evolving into dissent over the upcoming national security law, with people chanting, ‘independence for hong kong‘ and ‘revolution now,‘ phrases which may very well become illegal in just a few months‘ time. just give us an idea as to why people are so angry th

let's cross to hong kong and speak to tom grundy, the editor in chief & founder of hong kong free pressdent news outlet. tom, thank you very much for being with us. what is the latest on those protests 7 with us. what is the latest on those protests? i'm just hearing some shouting now as police sweep into the causeway bay shopping district. it's been day of cut and mouse chases throughout what is usually very busy district of hong kong. police have fired pepper straight, water cannon, tear gas and protest is behind me had been making makeshift barricades, some of them gathered still here but it seems the police tactic is to try to split everybody into smaller groups and prevent them marching on to causeway bay. this originally was meant to be a protest about the national anthem which could see people jailed for mocking the national anthem but it seems it's very quickly evolved into dissent over the upcoming national security law with people chanting independence for hong kong and revolution now, phrases which may well become illegal in a few months' time. give us an idea of why people a