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| Hong Kong pro-democracy activists threaten to step up protests | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| “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. | “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. |
| He said options included widening the protests, a strike by workers and possibly the occupation of government buildings. | He said options included widening the protests, a strike by workers and possibly the occupation of government buildings. |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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.” | 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.” | 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. |
| 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 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. | 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 - 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. | 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 hard to say: the massive gatherings were sparked by student protests and many on the streets do not identify themselves as Occupy Central protestors. | 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 that they hoped the movement would continue until at least Wednesday, and would then announce new plans for action. | 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.”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. | “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. |
| “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.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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| “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.” | “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.” |