Joshua Wong and Tam Tak-chi to be arrested today under national security law

Activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung and vice-chairman of localist group People Power Tam Tak-chi will be arrested by police today for allegedly violating the national security law, following the arrest of 53 pan-democrats in the city yesterday.

In a crackdown on Wednesday morning, some 1,000 police officers in Hong Kong arrested at least 53 individuals, including pro-democracy activists, politicians, campaigners, and an American lawyer.

They stand accused of “subverting state power” for holding primaries named “35+”, suspected of attempting to gain a majority in the legislature of over 35 seats with the aim of paralyzing the government, according to Hong Kong’s security chief John Lee Ka-chiu.

Wong is currently serving his sentence in Shek Pik Prison for besieging the Wan Chai Police Headquarters in June last year. While Tam is remanded at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre under sedition charges, his trial will start in May.

Both of them will be arrested at the locations they were being detained.

According to reports, the 53 pan-democrats being arrested yesterday and detained overnight will be granted bail respectively in the afternoon.