Yet no one should forget that on July 1, 2003, over 500,000 people protested because the government refused to allow more time to discuss proposed national security legislation. Hong Kong's government felt it could ignore public opinion and push the bill through with a large majority of the functional members, plus a handful of directly elected pro-government legislators.
然而没人应该忘记由于港府拒绝延长讨论国家安全法提案的时间致使50多万人在2003年7月1日举行游行示威。香港政府认为可以不顾民众意见，在大多数功能性立法委员和少数亲政府的直选立法委员的支持下强行通过该议案。直至拥有数个功能性席位的亲政府的自由党在强大的公众压力下乱了阵脚，港府方才作罢。