The upcoming anniversary of Hong Kong’s Handover to China will be “filled with joy,” Chief Executive John Lee has said.
Addressing reporters at a weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Lee said the 27th Handover anniversary next Monday would be “warmly celebrated” by Hongkongers.
“I strongly believe that the day will be filled with joy because we have many different measures to help people celebrate,” Lee said in Cantonese.
Earlier this month, Lee announced a raft of free and discounted activities that will be available on July 1, including complimentary tram and light rail travel and entry to exhibitions at the Hong Kong Palace Museum and M+ museum of visual culture.
Popular tourist attractions Ocean Park and the Peak Tram will offer tickets at a reduced cost, while discounts will also be available at over 1,000 eateries.
July 1 was traditionally a day of protest for pro-democracy groups, however, mass displays of opposition have not been seen since Beijing imposed a national security law in June 2020 after months-long protests sparked by a controversial extradition bill amendment.
In the years since, demonstrations on the Handover anniversary have been replaced by citywide offers and patriotic events, as well as ramped up police deployment in the districts where marches once took place.
See also: Timeline: Hong Kong’s July 1 carnival of dissent
Asked by a reporter on his view of the lack of protests scheduled on the date, Lee said there were “many channels for citizens to express opinions.”
“In the past, we had some bad experiences including some public events being hijacked,” Lee said. “We have to be wary and careful.”
Intelligence gathering
Police chief Raymond Siu said on Saturday that authorities were stepping up intelligence gathering ahead of the Handover anniversary.
“If we are aware of any attempt to disrupt social peace, we shall certainly act quickly,” he told reporters in Cantonese after a graduation ceremony at the Hong Kong Police College.
“We shall make appropriate deployments to maintain national security and also Hong Kong’s public safety and order,” Siu said, adding that the force would ensure there were “sufficient numbers of officers” deployed.
Local media reported that 6,000 police officers were deployed last July 1. Fifteen people were stopped by police, including an elderly man who called for the abolition of the national security law, while pro-democracy party the League of Social Democrats was pressured to cancel a small-scale demonstration outside the government headquarters.
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