Riot police fire pepper guns in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police fired pepper balls at protesters and arrested hundreds of people on Sunday (September 6) - the day on which a highly-anticipated election had been due to take place.

Hundreds took to the streets to demonstrate against the postponement of the Legislative Council election as well as a new national security law.

The city's opposition had been hoping to win a historic majority in the September 6 vote, which would have been the first election since the new security law was imposed by China.

But in July leader Carrie Lam delayed the poll for a year amid a spike in coronavirus cases.

Hong Kong's government has denied the postponement had political motivations, but some protesters like Ginger Keung say they doubt the pandemic was the main reason.

Anti-government action has declined this year due to limits on group gatherings - imposed to counter the spread of coronavirus - as well as the security law, which critics say is designed to crush dissent but supporters argue will bring stability after a year of often violent unrest.

But while street protests have lost some momentum, anti-government and anti-Beijing sentiment persists.

On Sunday, thousands of police were stationed around the Kowloon Peninsula as marchers waved placards and chanted "liberate Hong Kong."

Such slogans are now banned under the national security law but one demonstrator, who gave his name as Jose, said people would still express their thoughts and feelings.

"So we have to fight for the space to voice what we care, what we want to talk about."

In a Facebook post Hong Kong's police said at least 298 people had been arrested, mainly for illegal gatherings.