- Title: CHINA: Hong Kong students take pro-democracy protest to chief executive
- Date: 23rd September 2014
- Summary: PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3 HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 23, 2014) (REUTERS) STUDENTS SCUFFLING WITH POLICE BEHIND PHOTOGRAPHERS PHOTOGRAPHERS POLICEWOMAN STOPPING STUDENTS FROM APPROACHING ENTRANCE TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE / LEADER OF HONG KONG FEDERATION OF STUDENTS, ALEX CHOW (IN BLACK SHIRT), SHOUTING (Cantonese) "HONG KONG IS OUR TURF" STUDENTS SHOUTING (Cantonese): "WE WANT GENUINE UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE. HONG KONG IS OUR TURF" POLICE HOLDING HANDS AND BLOCKING ROAD / REPORTERS SURROUNDING STUDENTS VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN AND REPORTERS SURROUNDING STUDENTS POLICEMAN'S HAND WRITING DOWN STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARD INFORMATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEADER OF HONG KONG FEDERATION OF STUDENTS, ALEX CHOW, SAYING: "Obviously the boycott is posing a moral question to society. Now the students, they can sacrifice themselves and come into the community to try to promote a message of student strike, and the dangers Hong Kong is facing. So what can the Hong Kong people do in the future? This is a question society have to answer." HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, LEUNG CHUN-YING, WALKING TO PODIUM HONG KONG EMBLEM (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, LEUNG CHUN-YING, SAYING: "We deeply care about and we are fully listening to the demands expressed over a period of time by the students of the Hong Kong Federation of Students and the students of various universities on the 2017 universal suffrage." VARIOUS OF LECTURER SPEAKING ON STAGE IN FRONT OF VICTORIA HARBOUR AND BILLBOARD WITH WORDS (Chinese): "DECIDE YOUR DESTINY" VARIOUS OF STUDENTS BOYCOTTING CLASS SITTING AT PUBLIC LECTURE AT PARK IN FRONT OF GOVERNMENT HEADQUARTERS SECOND YEAR STUDENT AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, STEVE CHEUNG, SEATED YELLOW RIBBON ON CHEUNG'S SHIRT (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) SECOND YEAR STUDENT AT THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, STEVE CHEUNG, SAYING: "We have come to this public lecture hall and we can listen to teachers from different universities tell us more theories and ideas about democracy and universal suffrage. Students of politics like myself always hear about them. This time during the boycott movement, when the teachers voluntarily give us lessons here, we can absorb this knowledge better, and I think this is more beneficial to our learning." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS SEATED NEXT TO BANNER ON GROUND WITH WORDS (Chinese): "DISOBEY. BOYCOTT" STUDENTS SEATED INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE IN BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 9th October 2014 02:54
- Keywords:
- Location: China
- Country: China
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAAH0WF8SFJ9NY6NCSU22OAC3KC
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A scuffle broke out in Hong Kong on Tuesday (September 23) as students took their pro-democracy protest to government headquarters and called on the city's chief executive to honour his election promise of listening to the people.
About 20 students clashed with police when they pushed barriers and rushed to meet Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying as he stepped out to meet the crowd. He turned and went back into his office when the scuffles broke out.
Shouting "we demand genuine democracy" and "Hong Kong is our turf," some students tried to run to the entrance to Leung's office but were stopped by police, who later took down their details. No one has been arrested.
The incident took place on the second day of a week-long class strike.
One of the students, Alex Chow, leader of the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS) who demanded a meeting with Leung, said he hoped the boycott would inspire Hong Kong society.
"Obviously the boycott is posing a moral question to society. Now the students, they can sacrifice themselves and come into the community to try to promote a message of student strike, and the dangers Hong Kong is facing. So what can the Hong Kong people do in the future? This is a question society have to answer," Chow said.
Speaking before a regular Tuesday morning meeting, Leung said the government was listening to the demands of the university students, but did not give a direct answer when asked if he would meet the students who are rallying on a nearby park.
"We deeply care about and we are fully listening to the demands expressed over a period of time by the students of the Hong Kong Federation of Students and the students of various universities on the 2017 universal suffrage," Leung said.
Students boycotting classrooms on Tuesday attended public lectures arranged by HKFS at Tamar Park which was sandwiched between Hong Kong's iconic Victoria Harbour and the government headquarters.
Wearing white shirts pinned with yellow ribbons symbolizing hope, the students sat next to a black banner reading "Disobey. Boycott."
Steve Cheung, a second year student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said his education has not been affected despite the strike.
"We have come to this public lecture hall and we can listen to teachers from different universities to tell us more theories and ideas about democracy and universal suffrage. Students of politics like myself always hear about them. This time during the boycott movement, when the teachers voluntarily give us lessons here, we can absorb this knowledge better, and I think this is more beneficial to our learning," Cheung said.
Beijing said this year it would only permit voting for pre-screened, pro-Beijing candidates, sparking a wave of marches, rallies and a sit-in at the city's central business district that led to hundreds of arrests.
The main organisers of the protests have said they will occupy the city's business district in coming weeks.
The student boycott coincided with a trip by some of Hong Kong's most powerful tycoons to Beijing where they discussed Hong Kong with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Xi said Beijing would continue the 'one country, two systems' and the Basic Law in Hong Kong, which serve the interests of the nation, the interests of Hong Kong people, and the interests of foreign investors. He was was flanked by former Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa.
"The central government will firmly support and push for the democratic development in Hong Kong and will maintain the prosperous development in Hong Kong," CCTV quoted Xi as saying.
The Basic Law refers to the mini-constitution for post-1997 Hong Kong which enshrines the one country, two systems formula. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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