HONG KONG -- July 1 has been a public holiday in Hong Kong since 1997 to mark the handover of sovereignty from the U.K. to China, but it also has served as the day for the territory's people to hit the streets in protest on a wide range of issues.
The most notable protest occurred in 2003, when 500,000 people showed up to voice their opposition against the authorities' first attempt to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong. Pushed by the will of the people, the government eventually scrapped the plan.
