Hong Kong priest protests against detention of activists under national security law

Catholic missionary Father Franco Mella began a three-day protest outside Hong Kong’s Shek Pik prison on July 14, 2022 to demand the release of activists and opposition politicians jailed under the national security law. Beijing imposed the law on Hong Kong following the 2019 anti-government protest chaos. While the law has been effective in curbing street violence, critics allege that it is being used to silence dissent. Protests have been small and rare since the law was enacted in June 2020. The government's Covid-19 social-distancing restrictions have also limited the number of people who can gather in public.