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| Hong Kong’s protesters urge supporters to return to the streets | Hong Kong’s protesters urge supporters to return to the streets |
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| HONG KONG — Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters called on supporters to return to the streets Friday evening to lay fresh pressure on the authorities after the government backed out of planned talks. | HONG KONG — Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters called on supporters to return to the streets Friday evening to lay fresh pressure on the authorities after the government backed out of planned talks. |
| “No one wants to give up before we gain something from this action,” said Alex Chow, secretary general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, beside the main protest site Friday. He called on supporters to gather en masse Friday evening at 730 p.m. (730 a.m. EST). | |
| "Only by generating more pressure will the government face the public," he said. | "Only by generating more pressure will the government face the public," he said. |
| Chow said that although the crowds urging democratic reform in Hong Kong had thinned considerably, “there was no question of giving up.” | Chow said that although the crowds urging democratic reform in Hong Kong had thinned considerably, “there was no question of giving up.” |
| The call back to the streets set the stage for further confrontation between protesters and the government here, and could breathe new life into protests that had been dwindling steadily all week. | The call back to the streets set the stage for further confrontation between protesters and the government here, and could breathe new life into protests that had been dwindling steadily all week. |
| Chow also threatened further acts of civil disobedience if the government did not come to the negotiating table as promised. He said one possibility was again blocking government offices, as they did in the first week of demonstrations, preventing civil servants from going to work. | Chow also threatened further acts of civil disobedience if the government did not come to the negotiating table as promised. He said one possibility was again blocking government offices, as they did in the first week of demonstrations, preventing civil servants from going to work. |
| The government in Hong Kong backed out of the talks Thursday, saying they would not meet with the leaders after they had called for supporters to resume street demonstrations. That was an unacceptable threat, Hong Kong’s number two official said. The first round of talks had been scheduled for Friday. | The government in Hong Kong backed out of the talks Thursday, saying they would not meet with the leaders after they had called for supporters to resume street demonstrations. That was an unacceptable threat, Hong Kong’s number two official said. The first round of talks had been scheduled for Friday. |
| On Thursday, pro-democracy legislators said they would join the civil disobedience campaign by using their position on the Finance Committee and two subcommittees in the Legislative Council to block non-essential government work. Alan Leong, the head of the pro-democratic Civic Party, said legislators wanted to signal "loud and clear" their support for the campaign. | |
| Pro-democratic lawmakers were also preparing an impeachment motion against Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, Leong said. They have been demanding that anti-graft officers investigate a $6.4 million business pay-out to Leung while in office. | Pro-democratic lawmakers were also preparing an impeachment motion against Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, Leong said. They have been demanding that anti-graft officers investigate a $6.4 million business pay-out to Leung while in office. |
| Meanwhile, the China Human Rights Defenders group said police across China had taken into custody dozens of activists, petitioners, artists, and other citizens who had posted messages online or gathered to show support for the protestors. The majority of the detentions took place in Beijing. | |
| Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary, Carrie Lam, warned that occupation of Hong Kong's streets must end beforeany meaningful negotiations could begin, and also said the government is not prepared to discuss the protesters’ basic demand for democracy. | Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary, Carrie Lam, warned that occupation of Hong Kong's streets must end beforeany meaningful negotiations could begin, and also said the government is not prepared to discuss the protesters’ basic demand for democracy. |
| That may be the biggest sticking point — her insistence that students not contest the Chinese Communist Party’s ruling in August setting out its interpretation of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and detailing the rules that would govern the election of the territory’s next chief executive in 2017. Those rules effectively gave Beijing and its loyalists in Hong Kong the power to choose who can be a candidate in those elections. | That may be the biggest sticking point — her insistence that students not contest the Chinese Communist Party’s ruling in August setting out its interpretation of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law, and detailing the rules that would govern the election of the territory’s next chief executive in 2017. Those rules effectively gave Beijing and its loyalists in Hong Kong the power to choose who can be a candidate in those elections. |
| Protesters want to open up the nominating process and are also demanding the resignation of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. | Protesters want to open up the nominating process and are also demanding the resignation of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. |
| “We have stated again and again that political reform has to be under the Basic Law framework and the recent explanation made by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee,” Lam said. | “We have stated again and again that political reform has to be under the Basic Law framework and the recent explanation made by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee,” Lam said. |
| She said protest leaders had failed to listen to “rational voices” urging them to end their campaign of civil disobedience, adding that the “illegal occupation of the streets must end.” | She said protest leaders had failed to listen to “rational voices” urging them to end their campaign of civil disobedience, adding that the “illegal occupation of the streets must end.” |
| “We think that the foundation of the talks has been shaken, and we could not have a constructive meeting tomorrow, Lam said.” | “We think that the foundation of the talks has been shaken, and we could not have a constructive meeting tomorrow, Lam said.” |
| Student leaders accused the government of backing out of the talks because it felt the pressure was lessening. | Student leaders accused the government of backing out of the talks because it felt the pressure was lessening. |
| “I feel like the government is saying that if there are fewer people on the streets, they can cancel the meeting,” said Alex Chow, head of the Hong Kong Federation of Students. “Students urge people who took part in the civil disobedience to go out on the streets again to occupy.” | “I feel like the government is saying that if there are fewer people on the streets, they can cancel the meeting,” said Alex Chow, head of the Hong Kong Federation of Students. “Students urge people who took part in the civil disobedience to go out on the streets again to occupy.” |
| Chow accused the government of having been insincere about the dialogue all along. | Chow accused the government of having been insincere about the dialogue all along. |
| “We are not asking the government to respond to us by solving all the problems at once,” he said. “They could give some instructions or administrative work to give a blueprint of how all the constitutional reform problems could be settled, but right up to this moment the government has still not given us a concrete proposal to solve the problem.” | “We are not asking the government to respond to us by solving all the problems at once,” he said. “They could give some instructions or administrative work to give a blueprint of how all the constitutional reform problems could be settled, but right up to this moment the government has still not given us a concrete proposal to solve the problem.” |
| Observers said that by failing to take popular discontent seriously, the government had given the students a new rallying cry — just as the police firing tear gas on the protesters last week energized the entire movement. | Observers said that by failing to take popular discontent seriously, the government had given the students a new rallying cry — just as the police firing tear gas on the protesters last week energized the entire movement. |
| “I think it’s a big blunder again,” said Michael Davis, a law professor at Hong Kong University. “It was a major move to say they were going to talk to the students — it made people think that maybe there was a little sincerity.” | “I think it’s a big blunder again,” said Michael Davis, a law professor at Hong Kong University. “It was a major move to say they were going to talk to the students — it made people think that maybe there was a little sincerity.” |
| Sebastian Veg, director of the French Center for Research on Contemporary China, called the government’s decision “terribly irresponsible.” | Sebastian Veg, director of the French Center for Research on Contemporary China, called the government’s decision “terribly irresponsible.” |
| “I believe there are a range of technical compromises that can be reached between the students and the government, but the government has consistently demonstrated ill will in simply acknowledging the students’ demands,” he said. | “I believe there are a range of technical compromises that can be reached between the students and the government, but the government has consistently demonstrated ill will in simply acknowledging the students’ demands,” he said. |
| But he said he thinks that the students need to devise a new strategy, given the frustration in some quarters with the disruptions to daily life the protests have caused — perhaps retreating to their campuses for a period and setting an ultimatum for the government to offer some meaningful proposals. | But he said he thinks that the students need to devise a new strategy, given the frustration in some quarters with the disruptions to daily life the protests have caused — perhaps retreating to their campuses for a period and setting an ultimatum for the government to offer some meaningful proposals. |
| “This would highlight the moral bankruptcy of this embattled government and preserve the students’ moral high ground,” he said. “When the government acts like children, the students are called upon to act like the only adults in the room — as they have done so far.” | “This would highlight the moral bankruptcy of this embattled government and preserve the students’ moral high ground,” he said. “When the government acts like children, the students are called upon to act like the only adults in the room — as they have done so far.” |
| The atmosphere at the main protest venue — nicknamed “Umbrella Square” by protest leaders — was very relaxed around midnight Thursday, with schoolchildren getting help with their homework, an artist making yellow umbrella shapes out of balloons, a few people singing or doing yoga, some sleeping and many, like 25-year-old twins Hattie and Wendy Lam, just sitting around chatting with friends. | The atmosphere at the main protest venue — nicknamed “Umbrella Square” by protest leaders — was very relaxed around midnight Thursday, with schoolchildren getting help with their homework, an artist making yellow umbrella shapes out of balloons, a few people singing or doing yoga, some sleeping and many, like 25-year-old twins Hattie and Wendy Lam, just sitting around chatting with friends. |
| “It’s very chilled,” said Hattie, 25, a quantity surveyor. “Every day I see something new here.” | “It’s very chilled,” said Hattie, 25, a quantity surveyor. “Every day I see something new here.” |
| The Lam sisters called the government’s decision to cancel the talks “lame” and “cowardly” and ultimately unwise. “For sure, people will get tired, but if the government keeps doing things like this, it will provoke more people to come out,” said Wendy, an account executive for a company that sells watches. | The Lam sisters called the government’s decision to cancel the talks “lame” and “cowardly” and ultimately unwise. “For sure, people will get tired, but if the government keeps doing things like this, it will provoke more people to come out,” said Wendy, an account executive for a company that sells watches. |
| Responding to criticism that the prolonged sit-in has disrupted the city and is costing the movement popular support, leaders said students were fanning out through the city trying to explain to people that they had to accept some short-term disruption to traffic in order to achieve their long-term goal of democracy. | Responding to criticism that the prolonged sit-in has disrupted the city and is costing the movement popular support, leaders said students were fanning out through the city trying to explain to people that they had to accept some short-term disruption to traffic in order to achieve their long-term goal of democracy. |
| Daniela Deane reported from Rome. | Daniela Deane reported from Rome. |