Hundreds arrested in Hong Kong protests as security law comes into effect

It’s 23 years since Hong Kong stopped being a British colony and returned to Chinese control, but there were no celebrations.

Instead hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested, and thousands defied a police ban to oppose draconian legislation imposed by China last night.

Today, the British government said the new laws were a “clear and serious” violation of the handover treaty and promised a special visa system that could allow millions of Hong Kong citizens with British National Overseas status to come to the UK.