World
Hong Kong Uses Virus Rules to Stop Protests Even as Bars Fill Up
- Lawmakers say demonstrators arrested while nearby bars packed
- Police accuse activists of flouting anti-virus measures
Riot police attempt to disperse crowds inside Harbour City shopping mall, on May 10.
Photographer: Paul Yeung/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Hong Kong’s central bar district returned to relative normalcy this weekend, with crowds of revelers taking advantage of eased social distancing rules even as fresh pro-democracy protests flared across the city.
While police largely left the packed bars alone, when it came to activists, they aggressively enforced a coronavirus-related restriction on gatherings of more than eight people, arresting more than 200 people on Sunday alone.