- Title: Hong Kong restaurant offers free Christmas food to residents amid protests
- Date: 25th December 2019
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (DECEMBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS) RESIDENTS PICKING OUT FOOD FROM CHRISTMAS BUFFET PLATES OF FOOD RESIDENTS PICKING OUT FOOD SUSHI IN CONTAINER RESIDENTS PICKING OUT FOOD DISH OF CHICKEN WINGS VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS PICKING OUT FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) UNIVERSITY STUDENT, MARY, SAYING: "After this movement, you realise that Hong Kongers still help each other like how it used to be. For example, it takes a huge effort to build a "yellow" economic circle. Kong Wing Catering has been collaborating with different organisations and doing so many things to help the young protesters. Since we are those who benefit from them, we are touched. That's why we came here." RESIDENTS LINING UP OUTSIDE RESTAURANT CHRISTMAS CARD SHOWING INTERNET MEME CHARACTER PEPE THE FROG RESIDENTS LINING UP OUTSIDE OF RESTAURANT RESIDENTS ENTERING RESTAURANT (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) OWNER OF KWONG WING CATERING, GLORY, SAYING: "It was exhausting for us throughout these six months. I think before the movement, a lot of Hong Kong people hadn't gone through what we had gone through in these six months, so we wanted to support them (with this meal)." VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS PICKING OUT FOOD DISH OF FRIED NOODLES RESIDENT TASTING FRIED NOODLES (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) UNIVERSITY STUDENT, IVAN, SAYING: "This Christmas is very special. There is a festive atmosphere even if I still needed to be scared because I got tear gassed yesterday. I think it's very special." VARIOUS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS EATING FOOD PICKED OUT FROM CHRISTMAS BUFFET
- Embargoed: 8th January 2020 17:27
- Keywords: Christmas season Hong Kong celebrated six-months of protests with Christmas meal Hong Kong protests Protest
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: China
- Reuters ID: LVA001BBH2IPZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A catering restaurant opened a free Christmas buffet for residents in Hong Kong on Wednesday (December 25) as a show of support for the city which has been rocked by protests for the past six months.
Kwong Wing Catering, a business that voiced support for the pro-democracy protester and has been added to their "yellow" list of businesses to patronise, laid out dishes of fried noodles, chicken wings, sushi and rice for more than 500 people.
The Christmas buffet was announced in several Telegram groups and was almost cancelled after one of its lead cooks was arrested on Tuesday (December 24) during Christmas Eve protests.
The protests started more than six months ago against a now-withdrawn bill which would have allowed extraditions to mainland China where courts are controlled by the Communist Party.
They have since evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement, with demonstrators angry at what they perceive as increased meddling by Beijing in the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
The protests have turned more confrontational over the festive season, though earlier in December they had been largely peaceful after pro-democracy candidates overwhelmingly won district council elections.
(Production: Ronn Bautista, Yoyo Chow) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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