- Title: CHINA: Protesters hold rally in support of Snowden
- Date: 15th June 2013
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (JUNE 15, 2013) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS GATHERING ORGANISER TOM GRUNDY SPEAKING TO PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SIGN THAT READS "SNOWDEN FOR THE WORLD AND THE WORLD FOR SNOWDEN" PROTESTERS CLAPPING GRUNDY SPEAKING THEN CLAPPING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ORGANISER TOM GRUNDY SAYING: "I think it's important to have whistleblowers such as Snowden, because how else can we uncover wrongdoing in government? You need this mechanism where by people can secretly approach the press in confidence, have their identity protected, and shine, you know, truth on to power, shine light in dark places. So, when you have this spy programme you can see how long people are speaking to whom, and where, and who to, and this makes it very difficult to have that mechanism within democracy. So he says he's not a hero or a traitor, he's just a regular citizen. I think we agree today, and we're going to be standing in solidarity with him, and hoping that rule of law in Hong Kong is upheld." PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS SIGNS THAT READ "I AM WATCHING YOU! SAY NO TO PRIVACY AND VIOLATION" PROTESTER TALKING TO JOURNALIST SIGN THAT READS "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU" (SOUNDBITE) (English) 23 YEAR-OLD STAFF OF SOCIALIST ACTION GROUP SALLY TONG SAYING: "Today there are many Hong Kong people coming out to defend the basic democratic rights of Snowden because he has exposed the truth and the secrets from the U.S. government, and now it is really our responsibility to come out and defend his democratic rights. Not only his, but also the democratic rights of us." PROTESTER SPEAKING FORMER U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY EMPLOYEE BOB KRAFT LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY EMPLOYEE BOB KRAFT SAYING: "There's two parts to that. One is the U.S., I feel in the U.S. that they should not just get data from everyone in the U.S. without a specific cause, and then the other thing is how they are getting information from other countries. I think it's a violation of a human right of the other people to get the information without the permission of that specific government, and I think that's wrong." GRUNDY BLOWING WHISTLE IN FRONT OF PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF UMBRELLAS WITH SLOGANS IN SUPPORT OF SNOWDEN ON GROUND UMBRELLA WITH SIGN THAT READS "THE WHISTLEBLOWER: I CAN'T ALLOW THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO DESTROY PRIVACY AND BASIC LIBERTIES" UMBRELLA THAT READS "PROTECT SNOWDEN" SIGN THAT READS "OBAMA IS CHECKING YOUR EMAIL" ON GROUND
- Embargoed: 30th June 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVAD0ASWK5Z7OSIL3OWXI01X5MQH
- Story Text: Supporters attended a rally staged by activists and lawmakers in Hong Kong on Saturday (June 15) in support of freedom of speech and democratic values after revelations by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden that the U.S. had hacked into Hong Kong's networks.
Snowden has taken refuge in Hong Kong in the hope that the city's legal system would help protect him from U.S. prosecution.
The rally took place in heavy rain as protesters displayed signs with slogans in support of Snowden and free speech.
Organiser Tom Grundy, a speaker at the rally, said that individuals like Snowden were necessary for democracy.
"I think it's important to have whistleblowers such as Snowden, because how else can we uncover wrongdoing in government? You need this mechanism where by people can secretly approach the press in confidence, have their identity protected, and shine, you know, truth on to power, shine light in dark places. So, when you have this spy programme you can see how long people are speaking to whom, and where, and who to, and this makes it very difficult to have that mechanism within democracy. So he says he's not a hero or a traitor, he's just a regular citizen. I think we agree today, and we're going to be standing in solidarity with him, and hoping that rule of law in Hong Kong is upheld," said Grundy.
Sally Tong, from Hong Kong's Socialist Action Group, said that she attended to help defend Snowden's democratic rights.
"Today there are many Hong Kong people coming out to defend the basic democratic rights of Snowden because he has exposed the truth and the secrets from the U.S. government, and now it is really our responsibility to come out and defend his democratic rights. Not only his, but also the democratic rights of us," said Tong.
The protesters planned to walk to the city's U.S. consulate general and finish at the Hong Kong government headquarters.
Bob Kraft, a former NSA employee who attended the rally, believes that Snowden's revelations showed the U.S. government had violated basic human rights.
"There's two parts to that: one is the U.S., I feel in the U.S. that they should not just get data from everyone in the U.S. without a specific cause, and then the other thing is how they are getting information from other countries. I think it's a violation of a human right of the other people to get the information without the permission of that specific government, and I think that's wrong," said Kraft.
The U.S. government has maintained its stance that the information provided by monitoring communications has been instrumental in identifying people who sought to harm Americans. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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