Hong Kong arrests 5 key to July 1 rally

Saturday, July 5, 2014

HONG KONG — Five people from a Hong Kong activist group that organized a pro-democracy rally this week were arrested Friday on charges of blocking traffic, obstructing police and violating traffic safety.

The group, the Civil Human Rights Front, said the charges were politically motivated.

Tuesday’s rally was prompted by a report issued by China’s government that said it has ultimate power over Hong Kong despite a promise of autonomy for the territory through 2047. Police said that about 100,000 people joined at its peak, while organizers put the total at 510,000.

Police said the two men and three women are accused of obstructing traffic by driving slowly and encouraging protesters to sit in the street. They also are accused of obstructing police and disobeying instructions. They will be detained while they are being investigated, police said in a statement.

The organizing group criticized the arrests as “obvious political pressure.”

“The government did not respond to the 510,000 people who took to the streets of Hong Kong and instead made political arrests of organizers,” it said in a statement.

July 1, a public holiday marking the anniversary of the 1997 return of Hong Kong from Britain to Chinese sovereignty, has become an annual day of protest for broader political rights.

Tuesday’s rally came days after nearly 800,000 residents voted in an informal referendum aimed at bolstering support for full democracy. Beijing denounced the referendum.