Hong Kong arrests: Carrie Lam accuses west of hypocrisy, citing US Capitol riot

City's leader accuses foreign critics of double standards when they condemn rioters in the US but support pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's leader has defended the unprecedented mass arrest of opposition figures last week, and accused western powers of hypocrisy for condemning the siege on the US Capitol after supporting pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

At a weekly press briefing in Hong Kong on Tuesday, Carrie Lam was asked about the coordinated police raids last Wednesday, when 55 opposition figures were arrested on suspicion of breaching the national security law by holding unofficial primaries ahead of the since-postponed Hong Kong election. The raids were the latest use of the national security law against the pro-democracy movement.