Attendees At Westminster Event Asked To Hand Over Leaflets On Hong Kong Press Freedom

UK’s Parliamentary security guards on Sunday confiscated pamphlets and placards emblazoned with “press freedom” messages related to Hong Kong from the attendees of an event in Westminster. The incident was slammed by a senior Conservative MP as “completely daft”. The material brandished by those gathered was the sensitive as it constituted “political slogans or materials”, Commons officials noted, according to Guardian newspaper.

People were reportedly “forced” to attend the meeting of the all-party parliamentary group on Hong Kong by the officers on the parliamentary estate, the paper reported. Many among the attendees held the leaflets campaigning for the release of the media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

The 74-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily was detained by Chinese authorities in accordance with the sweeping national security legislation that allows the police to crack down on pro-democracy voices and dissent against the government. He faces three charges, including conspiracies to collude with a foreign country and a sedition charge. Beijing’s National Security Law criminalizes acts of succession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.
As attendees showed up at the UK event with placards displaying solidarity with Lai, British authorities demanded that they to hand over leaflets of press freedom at the entrance. They cracked down on the demonstrators campaigning for the release of Lai. The material was reportedly confiscated and later returned on orders of Conservative former cabinet minister, David Davis.

“It is barking mad, completely daft. I can see why you might not want people handing out controversial leaflets in Central Lobby [the hall between the House of Commons and the House of Lords], but that is fairly easy to police without confiscating everything,” Conservative minister Davis was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

Commons officials argued that attendees were not allowed to carry “political slogans or materials” inside the building as it is barred to make political slogans relating to other countries. The incident came at a crucial time when China-UK relations are thrawted over the self administered island of Taiwan and Hong Kong. British ministers are also facing pressure at home for not inviting the high-ranking Chinese official at King Charles’ coronation.