HONG KONG | Thousands protest against Occupy Central

Participants hold a Chinese national flag and a Hong Kong flag as tens of thousands of people march to oppose a planned civil disobedience campaign by pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong

Thousands of people in Hong Kong marched in protest against Occupy Central with Love and Peace, which is planning mass sit-ins to paralyze the city’s financial district amid a debate over democracy in the territory.
Demonstrators led by the Alliance for Peace and Democracy filled several soccer fields at Victoria Park in the city’s east before starting to walk toward Central about 1:30 p.m.  The University of Hong Kong’s Public Opinion Programme estimated the turnout was as much as 88,000, while police said 110,600 people took part in the rally at its peak. Rally organizers said they would finish their counting last night.
“I am following my group to the demonstration,” said Jim Kwok, a 41-year-old salesman and member of the Federation of Hong Kong Shenzhen Association. “Occupy Central will not directly affect my life but it may affect traffic and other things.”
The protest underlines the deep division in Hong Kong over how to pick its new leader in 2017, with the political unrest threatening to erode its status as a global financial center. The Chinese government has insisted on having candidates vetted by a nominating committee, which has met with opposition from lawmakers, students and activists.
Beijing is expected to issue an initial ruling on democratic reforms at the end of the month.
Occupy Central has threatened to organize a 10,000 strong sit-in at the financial district if the reforms fail to meet what it terms as “international standards.” In July, a referendum it ran drew almost 800,000 people who voted for the right of the public to nominate candidates for the election.
The group’s protests may take place in September if China indicates there’s no room for negotiation on the reforms, organizer Benny Tai said Aug. 15 in a phone interview. A non-negotiable requirement that candidates must have support from at least 50 percent of the nominating committee while limiting the number of candidates to two to three would probably spur action, Tai said.
The petition against Occupy Central by the Alliance and its march won’t alter “our resolve in fighting for true democracy,” Tai said.
Participants in yesterday’s march were mobilized by dozens of trade groups and many shied away from interview requests. Kermit Keung, a property manager in his 50s, who was part of an estate-management association in the rally, said he didn’t recognize some of the trade groups participating.
“I’ve never seen these associations before,” Keung said. “This may undermine the legitimacy of our protest.”
Minor clashes broke out between demonstrators and Occupy Central supporters who accused them of taking perks for the rally. A man hurled eggs at Occupy Central supporters in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong’s Cable TV reported.
Organizers booked more than 200 lunch tables in restaurants at Causeway Bay for the demonstrators, the Ming Pao Daily reported yesterday. The Alliance’s Chow said it was justifiable that the rally organizers provided meals and transportation, the Commercial Radio reported yesterday.
The Hong Kong government “fully respects the public’s right to take part in processions,” it said in a statement on its website yesterday. The government “welcomes and supports all activities which take forward the implementation of universal suffrage for the Chief Executive election in 2017 in accordance with the law.”
In July, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying submitted to China’s top policy-making body a report on whether there was a need to amend the methods for selecting Hong Kong’s chief executive in 2017 and for forming the city’s Legislative Council in 2016, the statement said.
After the committee had made its decision at the end of August, Hong Kong’s government will start another round of public consultation, it said. Bloomberg

Fox Hu and Jill Mao