Protesters march on a road during a pro-democracy rally against a proposed new security law in Hong Kong on Sunday. AFP

Hong Kong police fired tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters on Sunday, as thousands thronged the streets to protest against Beijing’s plan to directly impose national security laws on the city. The rally came as the city's government sought to reassure the public and foreign investors over the laws that sent a chill through financial markets and drew a rebuke from foreign governments, international human rights groups and some business lobbies.

The protesters chanted pro-democracy slogans in Causeway Bay, one of the city's busiest shopping districts, as riot police warned them with loudspeakers and flags that the gathering was unlawful and that they should disperse.

Agencies