Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters demonstrate against a proposed national security law on May 24, 2020. | Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

Fear that China will crack down on all dissent in the territory spurs the biggest demonstration in months.

Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of downtown Hong Kong on Sunday, defying social distancing protocols to protest Beijing’s announcement of a sweeping new national security law that could unravel many of the civil liberties residents enjoy in the semi-autonomous region of China.

Police used water cannons, tear gas, and pepper spray to disperse protesters, and there were reports of protesters throwing objects like plastic bottles and umbrellas at the police. At least 120 people were arrested.

The protest — the largest in the territory since the spread of coronavirus-caused lockdowns across China — reflects an intensification of longstanding tensions between pro-democracy protesters and the Chinese