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Hong Kong protesters ignore calls to end demonstrations Hong Kong activists threaten to step up protests
(about 2 hours later)
Protesters in Hong Kong on Tuesday ignored calls from the region’s chief executive to abandon pro-democracy demonstrations as numbers grew on the eve of a public holiday. Pro-democracy protest leaders in Hong Kong have threatened to step up their campaign if the region’s chief executive does not meet them by midnight on Tuesday, after he insisted that Beijing would not retreat on limits to voting reforms.
The protests had thinned overnight – after peaking in the tens of thousands – but by lunchtime on Tuesday more people were arriving at the scene again. Some said they were protesting in “shifts”, giving friends time to go home and rest before returning. Others took the opportunity of smaller numbers in the early morning to clean the roads. Leung Chun-ying had urged demonstrators to withdraw immediately from an occupation that has brought roads in the city centre to a standstill for the third night running. Tens of thousands of protesters withstood a rainstorm to make their voices heard.
One of the organisers, Alex Chow of Hong Kong’s Federation of Students, told a press conference more protesters were preparing to join. He said the demonstrations could also be widened, including strike action and sit-ins of government buildings, if authorities failed to meet the protest demands. “If Leung Chun-ying doesn’t come out to Civic Square before midnight ... then I believe inevitably more people will come out on to the streets,” said Alex Chow, secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, which organised class boycotts that sparked the mass protests.
Wednesday is National Day in China, which marks the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China under Communist party rule. The organising group Occupy Central with Love and Peace has called for people to maintain the momentum of the protests into the public holiday. He said options included widening the protests, a strike by workers and possibly the occupation of government buildings.
Hong Kong’s chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, had earlier urged protest leaders to immediately withdraw demonstrators from the centre of the city, as they continued to call for his resignation. Lester Shum, another student leader, told the growing crowd at Admiralty, around government complexes: “We are not afraid of riot police, we are not afraid of teargas, we are not afraid of pepper spray. We will not leave until Leung Chun-ying resigns. We will not give up, we will persevere until the end.”
“Occupy Central founders had said repeatedly that if the movement is getting out of control, they would call for it to stop,” Leung said. “I’m now asking them to fulfil the promise they made to society, and stop this campaign immediately.” Police have stepped back over the past two nights, maintaining a discreet presence after the use of teargas and pepper spray at the weekend failed to disperse the protests. Occupy Central with Love and Peace earlier called for people to maintain the momentum of the protests into Wednesday’s national holiday.
In a short speech before he chaired the executive council’s weekly meeting, he sought to head off calls for his departure, warning: “Any personnel change before the implementation of universal suffrage is achieved would only allow Hong Kong to continue to pick its leader under the election committee model.” Leung said: “Occupy Central founders had said repeatedly that if the movement is getting out of control, they would call for it to stop. I’m now asking them to fulfil the promise they made to society, and stop this campaign immediately.”
In Beijing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a press briefing: “We fully believe in and support the Hong Kong SAR government to deal with this issue.”
The protests have been sparked by Beijing’s insistence that universal suffrage for the 2017 election of the next chief executive must be tightly controlled, with a committee stacked with pro-Beijing sympathisers picking a handful of candidates. Underneath that lie broader concerns about the future of the region and its ability to protect its identity and freedoms.The protests have been sparked by Beijing’s insistence that universal suffrage for the 2017 election of the next chief executive must be tightly controlled, with a committee stacked with pro-Beijing sympathisers picking a handful of candidates. Underneath that lie broader concerns about the future of the region and its ability to protect its identity and freedoms.
On Sunday police used teargas in vain attempts to disperse protesters – instead bringing many more on to the streets in reaction. Chan Kin-man, one of Occupy’s co-founders, renewed its call for Leung to quit.“If Leung Chun-ying announces his resignation, this occupation will be at least temporarily stopped in a short period of time, and we will decide on the next move,” he told reporters.
Chan Kin-man, one of Occupy’s co-founders, renewed its call for Leung to quit.
“If Leung Chun-ying announces his resignation, this occupation will be at least temporarily stopped in a short period of time, and we will decide on the next move,” he told reporters.
“This would be a very important signal, then at least we know the government has changed their attitude and wants to solve this crisis.”“This would be a very important signal, then at least we know the government has changed their attitude and wants to solve this crisis.”
New figures released by Hong Kong University’s public opinion programme – taken before the current wave of protests started – gave Leung a net popularity rating of minus 35 percentage points, with an approval rate of 21% dwarfed by a disapproval rate of 57%. The government’s approval rate is minus 20. New figures released by Hong Kong University’s Public Opinion Programme - taken before the wave of protests started - gave Leung a net popularity rating of minus 35 percentage points, with an approval rate of 21 per cent dwarfed by the disapproval rate of 57%. The government approval rate is minus 20.
Previous work by the programme has shown the rate of people lacking confidence in the “one country, two systems” formula – which has allowed Hong Kong considerable autonomy – at its highest rate since polling began 21 years ago. As many as 56% said they lacked confidence, while 38% were confident. Previous work by the programme has shown the rate of people lacking confidence in the “one country, two systems” formula - which has allowed Hong Kong considerable autonomy - to be at its highest rate since polling began 21 years ago. Fifty-six per cent said they lacked confidence, while 38 per cent were confident.
Whether Occupy Central will be able to control the movement if it seeks to do so is uncertain: the massive gatherings were sparked by student protests, and many on the streets do not identify themselves as Occupy Central protesters. Whether Occupy Central will be able to control the movement if it seeks to do so is hard to say: the massive gatherings were sparked by student protests and many on the streets do not identify themselves as Occupy Central protestors.
Chan told the Guardian on Monday he hoped the movement would continue until at least Wednesday, and would then announce new plans. Chan told the Guardian on Monday that they hoped the movement would continue until at least Wednesday, and would then announce new plans for action.
“It is not realistic for people to occupy Central forever ... We have to be careful not to invite a backlash,” he said.“It is not realistic for people to occupy Central forever ... We have to be careful not to invite a backlash,” he said.
So far the anti-Occupy groups have been relatively quiet about the protests. But Robert Chow of the Silent Majority group, which has opposed the movement, said: “What Occupy Central has achieved is simply holding Hong Kong hostage and disrupting the livelihood of general Hong Kong people. So far the anti-Occupy groups have been relatively quiet about the protests. But Robert Chow of the “Silent Majority” group which has opposed the movement, said: “What Occupy Central has achieved is simply holding Hong Kong hostage and disrupting the livelihood of general Hong Kong people.
“If they persist in blocking traffic I think the people of Hong Kong will get angry.” “If they persist in blocking traffic I think the people of Hong Kong will get angry.”The White House on Monday urged authorities in the region to show restraint in responding to the sit-in, and urged protestors to express themselves peacefully.
The White House on Monday urged authorities in the region to show restraint in responding to the sit-in, and called on protesters to express themselves peacefully. “We believe that an open society with the highest possible degree of autonomy, and governed by the rule of law, is essential for Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity,” spokesman Josh Earnest said.David Cameron, the UK prime minister, said that he was “deeply concerned” about the situation and told Sky News he hoped the stand-off could be resolved.
“We believe that an open society with the highest possible degree of autonomy, and governed by the rule of law, is essential for Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity,” spokesman Josh Earnest said. Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seiber said the German leader was following events closely. He added: “Freedom of speech has a long tradition in Hong Kong and it is secured by law.
He said the legitimacy of the region’s chief executive would be strengthened if there was a genuine choice of candidates at the election. “It is a good sign that so many people have voiced their opinions. Our hope is it that government forces in Hong Kong react with consideration, so that the rights of the citizens are upheld and their opinions can be voiced freely.”