Flags raised marking Hong Kong handover’s 20th anniversary

Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects the Chinese troops of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison at the Shek Kong Barracks in Hong Kong, Friday, June 30, 2017. Chinese President landed in Hong Kong Thursday to mark the 20th anniversary of Beijing taking control of the former British colony, accompanied by a formidable layer of security as authorities showed little patience for pro-democracy protests. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

HONG KONG—The flags of China and Hong Kong were raised Saturday in a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of Chinese rule over Hong Kong while just streets away pro-democracy activists clashed with police and counter protesters.

The territory’s incoming chief executive Carrie Lam was among the dignitaries present for the outdoor ceremony at a harbor-side convention center. After the Chinese and Hong Kong anthems were played, a squadron of fire boats sailed past, blasting water from their cannons.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will preside over Lam’s inauguration before returning to Beijing later Saturday. His three-day visit aimed at stirring Chinese patriotism in the former British colony has prompted a massive police presence.

A little over a kilometer (mile) away, a small group of activists linked to the pro-democracy opposition attempted to march to the convention center carrying a replica coffin symbolizing the death of the former British colony’s civil liberties.

READ: Protests in Hong Kong as Xi swears in new leader

They were swiftly stopped by police and Chinese flag-waving counter protesters, with the action ending about an hour later.

Police on Wednesday arrested 26 people after they climbed onto a giant flower sculpture symbolizing Hong Kong’s reunification with China.

Protesters fear Beijing’s ruling Communist Party is increasing its control over the financial center’s affairs despite the “one-country, two systems” agreement under which it was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997. JPV