HONG KONG—A Catholic priest launched a three-day protest on Thursday in sweltering heat outside a Hong Kong maximum security prison, demanding the release of activists and democratic politicians held under a sweeping national security law.
Milan-born missionary Franco Mella, a longtime rights activist in the Chinese-ruled city, vowed to refuse food as he stood on a dam wall overlooking the Shek Pik prison on an isolated stretch of Hong Kong’s Lantau Island.
The 74-year-old, who took part in the mass pro-democracy protests in 2019 that roiled the global financial hub, told reporters Hong Kong people would be “more confident in the future” if authorities released the detained activists….