<span style="color: #222222;">In Hong Kong, police arrested almost 300 persons on Sunday after demonstrators protested to oppose the postponement of legislative elections and a new national security law imposed by China.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">In July this year, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam postponed the proposed September 6 elections in the Asian financial hub's Legislative Council for a year because of a spike in coronavirus cases.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">As per local media reports, thousands of police personnel were stationed around the bustling Kowloon peninsula as hundreds of marchers waved placards and chanted popular anti-government slogans such as "liberate Hong Kong".</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">These slogans are now banned under the new security law imposed by Beijing. Police said arrests were made, mainly for illegal gatherings.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Hong Kong government has said this was necessary amid the coronavirus pandemic, but activists said the government was using the outbreak as a pretext to stop people from voting.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Beijing has maintained that the legislation is needed to tackle unrest and instability.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">UN human rights experts have also told China that new security law for Hong Kong poses a serious risk to the freedom of expression of residents and expressed fear that it may crush legitimate activities of political opponents.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The move dealt a blow to the pro-democracy opposition which hoped to win a historic majority in the Council, where only half the seats are directly elected, and the other half are appointed members who mostly support Beijing.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The poll would have been the former British colony's first official vote since China imposed new security legislation on 1st July this year.</span><br />''