A group of Hongkongers rallied outside HSBC’s U.S. headquarters in New York on Saturday, protesting against the bank’s attempts to freeze the bank accounts of Hong Kong activists and condemning its collusion with authorities to further restrict the city’s freedom.

Organized by two Hong Kong pro-democracy groups in the United States, Lausan and Lion Rock Cafe, protesters braved the cold weather at -2 degrees Celsius and marched to HSBC’s U.S. headquarters at Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The rally was joined by a representative of the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines and Alex Chow, a former secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students’ Union.

Organizers condemned HSBC for participating in a political purge against activists by freezing the bank accounts of the self-exiled former lawmaker Ted Hui and his family, as well as those of the Good Neighbor North District Church, and its pastor Roy Chan and his wife. Freezing the church’s bank account was not just political retaliation, but would also affect the church’s regular services for the homeless and those in need, Lausan said.HSBC’s actions were a blow to Hong Kong’s status as an international financial hub as the events sparked concern among investors, who wanted to ensure that their accounts would not be frozen, said Roxanne, one of the hosts of the rally. What HSBC did after the imposition of the national security law had set a new example for other banks, particularly Chinese banks, to suspend accounts of those who disagree with the authorities, she said.

People’s trust in the British bank had dipped following the saga, said rally participant Candy. She was concerned if the U.K. would be a safe place for Hong Kong activists living in exile.

Lion Rock Cafe also staged “Write With You,” an activity encouraging overseas Hongkongers to write letters to protesters in jail. One of the participants, Yan Yan, a migrant from Hong Kong, wrote three letters. She hoped to send a message of kindness and concern during the festive season to those behind bars, since she could not visit them in person.

The group also protested against the Special Flushing Waterfront District, a US$1 billion project that was approved by the New York City Council to build a new 29-acre district in Queens’ Flushing for commercial and residential buildings. Lausan compared the project with Hong Kong’s mega artificial island project Lantau Tomorrow Vision, describing it as a white elephant.

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