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Seven arrested over scuffles in Hong Kong legislature

The May 8 incident was the first in a series of disputes over a bill approved in June that made it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem.

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Hong Kong police have arrested seven people over scuffles that broke out in the city’s legislature during a face-off between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing legislators earlier this year.

Those arrested include current and former opposition legislators, according to their political parties and media reports.

A police statement said that six men and one woman had been detained on suspicion of contempt and interfering with legislative members. It did not name them.

The statement said the arrests are part of an investigation into a May 8 committee meeting in which pro-democracy legislators rushed toward the chairperson’s seat and security guards shoved back.

Chan Chi-chuen
Pan-democratic legislator Raymond Chan Chi-chuen was taken away by security guards during the disruption in May (Kin Cheung/AP)

Mr Chan said on Twitter that he was arrested at 7am on Sunday, and Hong Kong media said that Mr Chu had also been arrested.

The Democratic Party said on its Facebook page that three of its legislative members had been arrested including party chairman Wu Chi-wai.

The May 8 incident was the first in a series of scuffles over a bill approved in June that made it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem.

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