數百名市民冒著被捕風險，在西九龍裁判法院外排隊時，抗議47名參與民主派初選的人士被警方根據《國家安全法》控以「串謀顛覆國家政權罪」。此乃近數月來最大規模的抗議示威。
大搜捕反對派人士包括抗爭運動的主要組織者黃之鋒，戴耀廷和岑子杰等，針對他們在去年的一次非正式初選中所扮演的角色，是中國去年實施的《國家安全法》的最大範圍濫用。
抗爭者在排隊等候進入西九龍裁判法院時，高呼「光復香港 時代革命」，並舉手示意「五大訴求 缺一不可」的抗爭口號。法院對面的英華小學的學生亦加入叫口號。
曾建成（阿牛）率領社民連成員沿隊舉起多條中、英文「釋放所有政治犯（Free All Political Prisoners）」横幅，後來在法庭入口處整固。
抗爭者不僅會因參加非法集會而有被捕風險，而且還高呼「光復香港 時代革命」，是自《國家安全法》頒布以來，當局已禁止的口號。
此次大濫捕遭美國和歐盟的譴責，美國國務卿布林肯（Antony Blinken）呼籲「立即釋放」抗爭者。多國駐港領事館人員、外交代表及歐盟駐香港辦事處副辦事處主任韋理斯（Charles Whiteley）到場，天主教香港教區榮休主教陳日君、民主黨創黨主席李柱銘、前主席劉慧卿和何俊仁等亦到場。
Hundreds of defiant Hong Kong protesters risked arrest outside West Kowloon Law Court in the largest demonstration in months, as 47 of the city’s most prominent pro-democracy activists were arrested and charged on subversion under the National Security Law.
The mass arrest of opposition figures include key protest organisers Joshua Wong, Benny Tai and Jimmy Sham over their roles in an informal election primary last year represented the most sweeping use of the National Security Law imposed by China last year.
Protesters chanted “Free Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Time” and gestured “5 Demands, Not One Less” protest slogan while waiting to enter the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts in a long queue that almost circled around the entire block. Students from Ying Wah Primary School adjacent to the court joined in the chant.
Bull Tsang led members of of The League of Social Democrats in raising a series of “Free All Political Prisoners” banners in Chinese and English along the queue and later consolidated outside the entrance to the court.
Not only did participants risk arrest by attending an unauthorised rally, they chanted “Free Hong Kong! Revolution of our time!” — a slogan banned by authorities since the National Security Law was enacted.
The latest charges were condemned by the US and the European Union (EU), with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for the “immediate release” of the activists. The security law case was just one of several moves by authorities to clamp down on the opposition ahead of a legislative election planned for later this year, after being delayed in September. Charles Whiteley, Representatives of the EU and many prominent democrats, such as former Cardinal Joseph Zen, Martin Lee, Emily Lau, Albert Ho were also present.
