This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/world/asia/protesters-storm-hong-kong-leaders-office-as-movement-flags.html
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Protesters Surround Hong Kong Leader’s Office in Renewed Confrontation | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| HONG KONG — Protesters and the police clashed in the political heart of Hong Kong on Sunday night, when thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators surged around the city leader’s office, seeking to blockade it and other government offices, and officers used pepper spray to repel them. The confrontation ended weeks of relative calm at the protesters’ main remaining street camp. | HONG KONG — Protesters and the police clashed in the political heart of Hong Kong on Sunday night, when thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators surged around the city leader’s office, seeking to blockade it and other government offices, and officers used pepper spray to repel them. The confrontation ended weeks of relative calm at the protesters’ main remaining street camp. |
| The renewed political confrontation came minutes after student leaders of the protest movement urged supporters to besiege city government offices ahead of the working day on Monday, in an attempt to force concessions to the protesters’ demands for democratic elections for the city leader. | The renewed political confrontation came minutes after student leaders of the protest movement urged supporters to besiege city government offices ahead of the working day on Monday, in an attempt to force concessions to the protesters’ demands for democratic elections for the city leader. |
| “Surround the government headquarters,” Nathan Law, a leading member of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, an organization of university students, declared from a podium in the Admiralty district where thousands of protesters had gathered. The protest area is a few minutes’ walk from the city government offices that the demonstrators have threatened to besiege. | “Surround the government headquarters,” Nathan Law, a leading member of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, an organization of university students, declared from a podium in the Admiralty district where thousands of protesters had gathered. The protest area is a few minutes’ walk from the city government offices that the demonstrators have threatened to besiege. |
| “Participate if you have the equipment, if you can take the risk,” Mr. Law told the crowd. “We do not encourage you to attack police officers.” | “Participate if you have the equipment, if you can take the risk,” Mr. Law told the crowd. “We do not encourage you to attack police officers.” |
| Minutes after he spoke, thousands of protesters rushed toward the government offices, including the headquarters of Hong Kong’s chief executive, the city’s top leader, where the police were ready with barricades and anti-riot equipment. | Minutes after he spoke, thousands of protesters rushed toward the government offices, including the headquarters of Hong Kong’s chief executive, the city’s top leader, where the police were ready with barricades and anti-riot equipment. |
| “Surround the government,” protesters chanted as the police, with riot shields and helmets, came out to face them at two ends of a road leading to the chief executive’s office. | “Surround the government,” protesters chanted as the police, with riot shields and helmets, came out to face them at two ends of a road leading to the chief executive’s office. |
| Officers raised flags warning that people faced arrest if they did not leave, but the crowd remained defiant and surged across a harborside road and blocked the chief executive’s office. The police then used pepper spray to force back the crowd, and soon dozens of protesters lay on the grass of an adjacent park, Tamar, receiving treatment from first-aid teams. Protesters in masks, some also with helmets and goggles, carried metal barricades from the nearby area to build roadblocks. | Officers raised flags warning that people faced arrest if they did not leave, but the crowd remained defiant and surged across a harborside road and blocked the chief executive’s office. The police then used pepper spray to force back the crowd, and soon dozens of protesters lay on the grass of an adjacent park, Tamar, receiving treatment from first-aid teams. Protesters in masks, some also with helmets and goggles, carried metal barricades from the nearby area to build roadblocks. |
| The protesters’ action ended an armistice that for several weeks had allowed government staff members and the chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, to go to work minutes from the protest camp that had ardently opposed him. In the Admiralty protest camp on Sunday night, some demonstrators wore safety goggles and helmets, prepared for a night of confrontation. | The protesters’ action ended an armistice that for several weeks had allowed government staff members and the chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, to go to work minutes from the protest camp that had ardently opposed him. In the Admiralty protest camp on Sunday night, some demonstrators wore safety goggles and helmets, prepared for a night of confrontation. |
| “It’s been two months and we’ve had no response from the government,” said Norma Wong, a 29-year-old graduate student in political science. “There’s a huge sentiment from everyone in the movement that we need to do something.” | “It’s been two months and we’ve had no response from the government,” said Norma Wong, a 29-year-old graduate student in political science. “There’s a huge sentiment from everyone in the movement that we need to do something.” |
| The escalation of the protests came after a week when the increasingly tired and beleaguered pro-democracy movement lost its street camp in the Mong Kok neighborhood, one of the three such camps that demonstrators have held since Sept. 28. Back then, a police operation to disperse protesters backfired, and thousands of residents surged onto the streets, irate at the police’s use of batons, pepper spray and tear gas. | The escalation of the protests came after a week when the increasingly tired and beleaguered pro-democracy movement lost its street camp in the Mong Kok neighborhood, one of the three such camps that demonstrators have held since Sept. 28. Back then, a police operation to disperse protesters backfired, and thousands of residents surged onto the streets, irate at the police’s use of batons, pepper spray and tear gas. |
| Now Admiralty, the site of the sole remaining large protest camp, has become the focus of a test of strength between the protesters and the government. | Now Admiralty, the site of the sole remaining large protest camp, has become the focus of a test of strength between the protesters and the government. |
| “We feel that the government feels no pressure if this movement simply drags on like this,” said Oscar Lai, a leader of Scholarism, a group of high school and university students, who was urging protesters to peacefully block the Hong Kong leader’s office. “This escalation shows that Hong Kong people can’t wait anymore.” | “We feel that the government feels no pressure if this movement simply drags on like this,” said Oscar Lai, a leader of Scholarism, a group of high school and university students, who was urging protesters to peacefully block the Hong Kong leader’s office. “This escalation shows that Hong Kong people can’t wait anymore.” |
| In Admiralty, many protesters supported the idea of raising pressure on the government to force it to concede to demands for democratic elections for Hong Kong’s chief executive. But many said they saw little hope of succeeding. | In Admiralty, many protesters supported the idea of raising pressure on the government to force it to concede to demands for democratic elections for Hong Kong’s chief executive. But many said they saw little hope of succeeding. |
| “My attitude is that the movement should escalate,” said Lai Cheuk-yu, an office worker in his 20s who was among the protesters at Admiralty on Sunday. “But I don’t know how we can make the government pay attention to us. The action needs to threaten the government enough to make it face up to us, but we may not have the strength to achieve that.” | “My attitude is that the movement should escalate,” said Lai Cheuk-yu, an office worker in his 20s who was among the protesters at Admiralty on Sunday. “But I don’t know how we can make the government pay attention to us. The action needs to threaten the government enough to make it face up to us, but we may not have the strength to achieve that.” |
| The police and other Hong Kong government officials had warned students not to converge on Admiralty, the local news media reported. The police senior superintendent, Kong Man-keung, said officers would take “resolute action to stop any attempts to besiege the government headquarters,” Radio Television Hong Kong reported. | The police and other Hong Kong government officials had warned students not to converge on Admiralty, the local news media reported. The police senior superintendent, Kong Man-keung, said officers would take “resolute action to stop any attempts to besiege the government headquarters,” Radio Television Hong Kong reported. |
| In mid-October, the government offices and a nearby traffic tunnel and park already became a battleground between the police and protesters who blockaded the chief executive’s office, which sits near Victoria Harbor. Hundreds of police officers used pepper spray to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who had barricaded a harborfront road near the office. | In mid-October, the government offices and a nearby traffic tunnel and park already became a battleground between the police and protesters who blockaded the chief executive’s office, which sits near Victoria Harbor. Hundreds of police officers used pepper spray to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who had barricaded a harborfront road near the office. |
| Many hundreds of police have continued to guard Mong Kok. Since the protest camp there was demolished, crowds of protesters have returned to the area each evening, attempting to block streets and test police resolve. The police said they arrested nine demonstrators on Saturday night in Mong Kok and nearby areas. Nearly 200 people were arrested over previous nights. | Many hundreds of police have continued to guard Mong Kok. Since the protest camp there was demolished, crowds of protesters have returned to the area each evening, attempting to block streets and test police resolve. The police said they arrested nine demonstrators on Saturday night in Mong Kok and nearby areas. Nearly 200 people were arrested over previous nights. |
| The two student groups at the forefront of the protests had urged supporters to congregate on Sunday in Admiralty, which is next to the Hong Kong government office complex where the protests first erupted in late September. | The two student groups at the forefront of the protests had urged supporters to congregate on Sunday in Admiralty, which is next to the Hong Kong government office complex where the protests first erupted in late September. |
| The Hong Kong Federation of Students urged people to “put greater pressure on the government” and to bring the now-familiar paraphernalia of the protesters: safety helmets and drinking water, as well as goggles and umbrellas, which have been used to fend off bursts of pepper spray from the police attempting to break up demonstrations. | The Hong Kong Federation of Students urged people to “put greater pressure on the government” and to bring the now-familiar paraphernalia of the protesters: safety helmets and drinking water, as well as goggles and umbrellas, which have been used to fend off bursts of pepper spray from the police attempting to break up demonstrations. |
| Scholarism, the political movement of high school and university students, also urged protesters to come equipped with masks, goggles and umbrellas “because the police could at any time use batons, pepper spray and a variety of chemical weapons.” | Scholarism, the political movement of high school and university students, also urged protesters to come equipped with masks, goggles and umbrellas “because the police could at any time use batons, pepper spray and a variety of chemical weapons.” |
| It also urged them not to attack the police or to lob objects at them. “We need to do something that could really affect the government,” said Daniel Wong, a 21-year-old student. “Don’t let them have the idea that they can ignore us because we’re just sitting down.” | It also urged them not to attack the police or to lob objects at them. “We need to do something that could really affect the government,” said Daniel Wong, a 21-year-old student. “Don’t let them have the idea that they can ignore us because we’re just sitting down.” |