Bloomberg News
Tens of thousands of protesters poured back into the streets around Hong Kong's government headquarters after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying called on them to clear access to the complex by tomorrow.
Students leading the demonstrations put the crowds amassed downtown at about 200,000 -- as large as any since the pro-democracy rallies began Sept. 26 -- with many people turning out to support protesters attacked by groups of men on Oct. 3. The demonstration set the stage for another showdown with the government, as Leung asserted his 'responsibility and determination to take any necessary action' to restore order in the Asian financial center.
'The most immediate thing: on Monday, entrances of government headquarters must be clear,' he said, in a televised address yesterday evening.
Student protesters seeking direct elections free from limits set by China's central government have obstructed roads for more than a week, paralyzing much of central Hong Kong and forcing schools, stores and government offices to close. The benchmark Hang Seng Index fell 2.6 percent last week -- its steepest drop since March -- as the former British colony slipped into its worst political crisis since China regained sovereignty in 1997.
Talks agreed to by both sides on Oct. 2 were shelved by the students the following day after protesters in Hong Kong's Mong Kok district were attacked by hundreds of men opposing the demonstrations. Police arrested 20 people, including eight with suspected ties to the city's triad gangs.
Police Probe
In his address, Leung said the government 'strongly condemns' the violence in Mong Kok. If 'the incident develops further, it is very possible that the situation will continue to be out of control, harming public safety and social order,' he said.
The Hong Kong Federation of Students, one group leading the protest, said in a statement on its Facebook page last night that talks could resume if the government opened an investigation into the police's conduct in Mong Kok, where some protest leaders accused the police of allowing organized violence against them.
The city's Secretary of Security Lai Tung-kwok called such claims 'highly unreasonable and extremely unfair' and said the police would continue to act in a professional manner.
Sporadic clashes erupted yesterday between pro-democracy protesters and those who say their occupation of some of the city's busiest shopping areas have hurt local businesses and hampered transportation.
More Arrests
Reports of scuffles in Mong Kok continued, although a larger contingent of police appeared to avoid a report of the previous day's violence. Three more people were arrested yesterday, including one for assault and two for sexual assault, according to a police spokeswoman.
The protest camps were 'high risk' areas and members of the public should stay away, Assistant Police Commissioner Cheung Tak-keung said at a press briefing yesterday. Lawmakers, including democracy supporter Ronny Tong and Beijing-backer Starry Lee, also issued new pleas for students to leave the streets, Hong Kong's Commercial Radio reported.
Protest leaders gave no sign of clearing out in speeches to the crowds assembled in Admiralty early this morning. Joshua Wong, 17, the founder of the student activist group Scholarism, said 200,000 people were in attendance, about the same number that attended the rallies' Oct. 1 peak.
Student Demands
'They say we're chaotic -- look around -- are we chaotic?' Wong said. 'I see you all here and I know that what we've worked towards has not been for nothing.'
The protests were triggered by China's decision that candidates for chief executive in the 2017 elections be vetted by a committee. Pro-democracy groups say that will guarantee the candidates' obedience to China. They are seeking a more open system, as well as Leung's resignation.
Lawmaker Regina Ip, a former secretary for security, has requested an emergency meeting with the government on starting a dialogue with the students.'The situation is very volatile, and I am not sure what happens next,' she said
To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Dominic Lau in Hong Kong at dlau92@bloomberg.net; Randall Jensen in Hong Kong at rjensen18@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Rosalind Mathieson at rmathieson3@bloomberg.net; Tan Hwee Ann at hatan@bloomberg.net Brendan Scott, Darren Boey
Posted by Unknown on Saturday, October 4, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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