Professor Chan Kin-man (left) and Dr Benny Tai Yiu-ting, conveners of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement, announce the launch of a civil disobedience manual in Hong Kong yesterday. Banner in foreground reads ‘Stand up! Let the world see!’
More than 1,000 protesters marched yesterday night to the residence of Hong Kong’s leader as students escalated their protest action against China’s refusal to grant the city full democracy.
Student groups are spearheading a civil disobedience campaign along with democracy activists in protest at Beijing’s decision to vet who can stand for chief executive - the southern Chinese city’s top post - at the next election.
University students began a week-long class boycott on Monday, rallying a crowd that organisers said was 13,000-strong on a campus in the north of the city and breathing new life into a movement left stunned by Beijing’s hardline stance.
On Tuesday, the students moved their protest to a public park outside the main legislative complex of the semi-autonomous Chinese city, briefly mobbing current Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying as he exited the building.
Protesters set off from Tamar park yesterday night as they made their way toward Leung’s residence in the Central region of Hong Kong, despite being initially blocked by police, who held up signs warning that those who continued could be prosecuted.
The uphill march was halted multiple times by police, angering some protesters who screamed “let us pass” at officers. Organisers had said they did not seek permission for the rally.
Chants calling for Leung to step down were repeated, while a large cutout of his face with vampire fangs led the procession.
Organisers claimed around 4,000 took part but an AFP reporter at the scene estimated the figure was closer to 1,000.
Most participants said they simply wanted Leung to acknowledge them.
“It’s not that much to ask our leader to hear our grievances, to acknowledge that we have legitimate concerns,” said 23-year-old Shue Yan University sociology student Bethany Yiu.
“I need to fight for democracy now so the next generation can have a better life,” economics major at Shue Yan, Saxon Lam, said.
Both Yiu and Lam were arrested this year along with more than 500 others during a July student-led sit-in.
Students said on Tuesday that protest action would be escalated if Leung refused to speak with them within 48 hours.
A response by the government released earlier yesterday said they “understood and respected” the students’ concern and requests for democracy.
In a separate event on Wednesday, around 500 students and supporters made their way from Tamar Park to Central business district, where many big international companies are based.
Occupy Central, a prominent grassroots pro-democracy group, has vowed to take over Central if its demand that Hong Kongers be allowed to nominate candidates for leader is not met.
Last month China said Hong Kongers would be allowed to vote for their leader for the first time in the 2017 election, but that only two or three candidates approved by a pro-Beijing committee could stand.
Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 under a ‘one country, two systems’ agreement which allows it civil liberties not seen on the mainland, including free speech and the right to protest.