HONG KONG – Under a gray drizzle, a Hong Kong police drill team marched into the police academy parade grounds on Thursday, showcasing a newly acquired skill: goose steps in the locked-knee marching style of the Chinese military, a departure from the bent knee British style long established in the norm the former colony.
The practice squad was watched by hundreds of supporters gathering in bleachers to celebrate National Security Education Day, marked with fanfare 10 months after Beijing began a sweeping repression of dissent in the city.
With billboards in the city and events in schools and other institutions, the activities sought to broaden support for a new security regime, including a national security law criminalizing crimes such as sedition and foreign conspiracy up to life in prison.
Thursday’s events also highlighted that Hong Kong, which returned to China in 1997 under an accord intended to grant the city limited self-government, is now firmly under Beijing’s control. Senior Chinese and local officials made speeches warning of dire consequences for anyone crossing the core of China’s national security. Many of the city’s most prominent democracy activists are in prison or on trial.
The sight of Hong Kong police marching on the mainland was the most powerful symbol of Beijing’s influence and became the focal point of the day.