HONG KONG -- Hong Kong police arrested 53 former lawmakers and democracy proponents Wednesday, accusing them of violating the new national-security law by participating in unofficial election primaries for the territory's legislature last year.
The mass arrests were the largest move against Hong Kong's democracy movement since the law was imposed by Beijing in June to quell dissent in the semi-autonomous territory.
"The operation today targets the active elements who are suspected to be involved in the crime of overthrowing, or interfering [in] ... the Hong Kong government's legal execution of duties," Hong Kong's security minister, John Lee, said at a news conference.
He said those arrested were suspected of trying to paralyze the government by attempting to gain a majority in the legislature to create a situation in which the chief executive had to resign and the government would stop functioning.
A video on former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting's Facebook page showed police arriving at his home and telling him he was "suspected of violating the national security law, subverting state power." Police told those recording the video to stop or risk arrest.
The legislative election that would have followed the unofficial primaries was postponed by a year by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who cited the public-health risks during the coronavirus pandemic. Mass resignations and disqualifications of pro-democracy lawmakers have left the legislature largely a pro-Beijing body.
Lee said the police would not target those who voted in the unofficial primaries, which were held in July and attracted more than 600,000 voters even though pro-Beijing lawmakers and politicians had warned the event could breach the security law.
All of the pro-democracy candidates in the unofficial primaries were arrested, apart from a few who had fled the territory, according to reports by the South China Morning Post, online platform Now News and political groups.
At least seven members of Hong Kong's Democratic Party -- the city's largest opposition party -- were arrested, including former party chairman Wu Chi-wai. Former lawmakers Lam, Helena Wong and James To also were arrested, according to a post on the party's Facebook page.
Benny Tai, a key figure in Hong Kong's 2014 Occupy Central protests and a former law professor, was arrested, reports said. Tai was one of the main organizers of the primaries.
The home of Joshua Wong, a prominent pro-democracy activist who is serving a 13½-month prison sentence for organizing and participating in an unauthorized protest last year, also was raided, according to a tweet posted from Wong's account.
American human-rights lawyer John Clancey was among those taken into custody. Clancey was the treasurer of political group Power for Democracy, which was involved in the unofficial primaries.
"We need to work for democracy and human rights in Hong Kong," Clancey said as he was being led away by police, in a video posted by online news outlet Citizen News.
Police also went to the offices of Stand News and Apple Daily, two prominent pro-democracy news outlets, with a court order to hand over documents to assist in an investigation related to the security law, according to the two media outlets. Another online news outlet, In-Media, received a similar court order. No arrests were made.
Lee pointed to a "10 steps to mutual destruction" plan that included taking control of the legislature, mobilizing protests to paralyze society and calling for international sanctions.
That plan was previously outlined by former law professor Tai. He predicted that between 2020 and 2022, there would be 10 steps to mutual destruction, including the pro-democracy bloc winning a majority in the legislature, intensifying protests, the forced resignation of Lam after the budget bill was rejected twice, and international sanctions on the Chinese Communist Party.
"The plot is to create such mutual destruction that if successful ... will result in serious damage to society as a whole," said Lee. "That is why police action today is necessary."
In response to the arrests, the European Union called for the immediate release Wednesday of all the detained activists.
EU spokesman Peter Stano said that the arrests send the "signal that political pluralism is no longer tolerated in Hong Kong."
Information for this article was contributed by Geir Moulson and staff members of The Associated Press.
![FILE - In this July 11, 2020, file photo, banners of a pro-democracy candidate Joshua Wong, wearing glasses, are displayed outside a subway station in Hong Kong, in an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu,File)]()
FILE - In this July 11, 2020, file photo, banners of a pro-democracy candidate Joshua Wong, wearing glasses, are displayed outside a subway station in Hong Kong, in an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu,File)
![FILE - In this July 15, 2020, file photo, pro-democracy activists who were elected from unofficial pro-democracy primaries, including Joshua Wong, left, attend a press conference in Hong Kong. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)]()
FILE - In this July 15, 2020, file photo, pro-democracy activists who were elected from unofficial pro-democracy primaries, including Joshua Wong, left, attend a press conference in Hong Kong. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
![Former law professor Benny Tai, center, a key figure in Hong Kong's 2014 Occupy Central protests and also was one of the main organizers of the primaries, sits in a car after being arrested by police in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Apple Daily)]()
Former law professor Benny Tai, center, a key figure in Hong Kong's 2014 Occupy Central protests and also was one of the main organizers of the primaries, sits in a car after being arrested by police in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Apple Daily)
![In this image taken from a video, former legislator and District Council member Gary Fan, right, is arrested by police officers at a police station in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Hong Kong police arrested about 50 pro-democracy figures Wednesday for allegedly violating the new national security law by participating in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to political parties and local media. (TVB via AP)]()
In this image taken from a video, former legislator and District Council member Gary Fan, right, is arrested by police officers at a police station in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Hong Kong police arrested about 50 pro-democracy figures Wednesday for allegedly violating the new national security law by participating in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to political parties and local media. (TVB via AP)
![FILE - In this July 11, 2020, file photo, a woman walks past banners of pro-democracy candidates outside a subway station in Hong Kong, in an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)]()
FILE - In this July 11, 2020, file photo, a woman walks past banners of pro-democracy candidates outside a subway station in Hong Kong, in an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)
![American human rights lawyer John Clancey, center, is arrested by police in Hong Kong Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Clancey was the treasurer of the political group Power for Democracy, which was involved in the unofficial primaries. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Apple Daily)]()
American human rights lawyer John Clancey, center, is arrested by police in Hong Kong Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Clancey was the treasurer of the political group Power for Democracy, which was involved in the unofficial primaries. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Apple Daily)
![FILE - In this July 12, 2020, file photo, people queue up to vote in Hong Kong in an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections in September. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)]()
FILE - In this July 12, 2020, file photo, people queue up to vote in Hong Kong in an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections in September. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)
![In this image taken from a video, Hong Kong's Democratic Party member and former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, center, is arrested by police officers at his home in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Hong Kong police arrested about 50 pro-democracy figures Wednesday for allegedly violating the new national security law by participating in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to political parties and local media. (TVB via AP)]()
In this image taken from a video, Hong Kong's Democratic Party member and former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, center, is arrested by police officers at his home in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Hong Kong police arrested about 50 pro-democracy figures Wednesday for allegedly violating the new national security law by participating in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to political parties and local media. (TVB via AP)
![Senior superintendent of National Security Department Li Kwai-wah talks to reporters next to a TV screen displaying the National Security No. 22 during a press conference in Hong Kong Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)]()
Senior superintendent of National Security Department Li Kwai-wah talks to reporters next to a TV screen displaying the National Security No. 22 during a press conference in Hong Kong Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. About 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures were arrested by police on Wednesday under a national security law, following their involvement in an unofficial primary election last year held to increase their chances of controlling the legislature, according to local media reports. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
