People queue up to vote in Hong Kong, Sunday, July 12, 2020, in an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections in September.
Over 200,000 Hong Kongers voted in an unofficial Hong Kong primary that will help the pro-democracy camp decide which candidates to field in legislative elections in September.
(AP Photo/Vincent Yu)HONG KONG Young activists and localist candidates dominated Hong Kongs unofficial pro-democracy primaries over the weekend, with hundreds of thousands of people voting despite warnings the election could violate the territory's new security law.
Beijings Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office lashed out at the pro-democracy camp for holding the primaries, calling it illegal and that stating that the primaries blatantly challenges the Basic Law.
It also said that the primaries violated the national security law, singling out the organizer Benny Tai and accusing him of subversive activities and advocating for the independence of Hong Kong.