Hong Kong, May 28 (IANS): Emergency services were called into Hong Kong Legislative Council's (Legco) chamber on Thursday after an opposition lawmaker hurled a container of foul-smelling rotten plants at the President's seat as a debate on a controversial national anthem bill resumed.

Immediately after the incident, the Democratic Party legislator Ted Hui was taken away by security guards, and the meeting was suspended as a half-solid substance, light brown in colour, spilled from the container and emitted a strongly unpleasant smell, reports the South China Morning Post newspaper.

Security guards covered the container, and used air purifying spray in the chamber, before cleaners were called in to remove it and the contents that spilled out.

Soon after the debate started on Thursday morning, Legco President Andrew Leung ordered opposition lawmaker Eddie Chu to leave the chamber for displaying a placard.

Opposition lawmaker Raymond Chan was also ordered to leave the chamber for protesting against Leung's ruling.

Outside the chamber, Hui said he used a container of rotten plants to protest against Leung, as the President had limited the room for pan-democrats to speak up for the people against the national anthem bill.

"What has gone rotten is our ‘one country, two systems', our rule of law, our Hong Kong values. I want to give Andrew Leung and the pro-establishment camp the taste of it," the South China Morning Post quoted the lawmaker as saying.

On Wednesday, lawmakers began debating a controversial national anthem bill which would criminalise insults to the 'March of the Volunteers'.

The opposition unsuccessfully attempted to stall proceedings, while protests broke out across the city and more than 360 people were arrested for taking part in unauthorised assemblies.