An estimated 16,000 people rallied in Hong Kong yesterday in support of a controversial anti-subversion law the government wants to introduce.
The demonstration by a coalition of 27 pro-government groups was staged in response to a giant march last Sunday by critics of the proposed law that organizers said drew 60,000 people.
Police said yesterday's rally in Hong Kong's Victoria Park was attended by 16,000, although one of the organizers said as many as 40,000 were present.
Pro-government forces are fighting a rearguard action against opponents of the proposed legislation who say it would curtail freedoms of speech and expression in Hong Kong.
The proposed law, which the government wants to put in force next summer, would make illegal any acts and publications which are deemed to be a threat to Chinese national security.
Critics have demanded a white paper to allow the legislation to be studied in detail before it is brought into effect, but the Hong Kong government has so far resisted the demands.
The issue has developed into the biggest political controversy since Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule by Britain in 1997, with foreign consulates and businesses joining the clamor for a white paper.
A survey of Hong Kong journalists released Friday found one in 10 would quit the profession if the anti-subversion legislation is implemented.
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