Police have arrested more than 50 activists in Hong Kong.

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More than 50 pro-democracy activists were arrested in Hong Kong on Wednesday on suspicion of violating a national security law. With reference to local media, this was stated by the agencies AP and Reuters. It is so far the largest intervention against the opposition in the city under the new, controversial legislation. Police also broke into the offices of the pro-democracy Internet media company Stand News. A Stand News reporter said police asked the editor-in-chief to sign documents related to the national security investigation. Among those arrested are former lawmakers and activists James To, Lam Cheuk-ting and Lester Shum, among those arrested on the Democratic Party's Facebook page and the RTHK public service station. The crackdown on the city's top activists, some of whom are advocating aggressive tactics against Beijing, but also former lawmakers and other moderate voices, will fuel fears of strengthening authoritarian rule in Hong Kong. According to the Democratic Party, police arrested activists for participating in an independently organized informal vote in July 2020 to select Democratic candidates for parliamentary elections. The Hong Kong and Beijing governments warned at the time that they could break the new law. Parliamentary elections were scheduled for last September, but were postponed, according to authorities over Covid-19.