- Title: HONG KONG: Pro-government supporters rally in Hong Kong
- Date: 11th October 2014
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (OCTOBER 11, 2014) (REUTERS) RALLY ORGANISER LETICIA LEE SEE-YIN SHAKING SPRAY PAINT CAN AND SPRAYING PAINT LEE SPRAYING PAINT ON WHITE BANNER LEE PAINTING CHINESE CHARACTER "KU" WHICH MEANS "SUFFERING" ON BANNER DEMONSTRATORS STANDING HOLDING HEART-SHAPED CARDS AT RALLY LEE CHANTING WITH SUPPORTERS (Cantonese): "CLEAR THE SITES TOMORROW AND RETURN MONG K
- Embargoed: 26th October 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Hong Kong
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: General,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAE811YVGNXVPN5735UZJH3B1TP
- Story Text: As pro-democracy protesters gathered at major protest sites in Hong Kong, around 40 pro-government demonstrators held a rally in Mong Kok on Saturday (October 11) calling for authorities to clear the streets.
Holding banners reading, "Love Hong Kong" and " support our police force", the organiser, Leticia Lee See-Yin said if the government would not take action they would.
"If the government fails to respond to our request, about the clear of affected areas, we will have no choice but resort to counter, besieging action to exercise our rights as citizens to gain back what we deserved to have," she said.
Some of the demonstrators wore blue ribbons and identified themselves as supporters of the government. They aimed to collect signatures for a petition to call on authorities to clear the streets of pro-democracy protesters and to dismiss members in the Legislative Council.
"I would like to raise the issue to dismiss the LEGCO, the legislative council in Hong Kong, because I think that this is the right time for every people to re-elect the real representatives for all the people in Hong Kong," she added
Protests escalated late last month, after Beijing's decision on August 31 to impose conditions for nominations that would effectively stop pro-democracy candidates from contesting an election of the city's chief executive set for 2017.
Since taking to the streets around two weeks ago, the activists have blockaded major roads around the government precinct in Admiralty, as well as the shopping districts of Central and Causeway Bay. The protests have led to some resentment among the public due to the resulting traffic jams and loss of business.
"(The protesters) are affecting my daily life, they're affecting my freedom. This is why I have to stand up and tell them not to occupy Central! It's because this is affecting our daily lives, and we must work and make a living. They stop us from earning our wages, so this is why I oppose them," 58 year-old retiree and blue ribbon movement supporter, Wong Yan Cheung said.
The occupation movement suffered a noticeable dip in support over the past week, but strong crowds of over ten thousand returned on Friday (October 10) evening for a series of rallies in the former British colony after the government called off talks with its leaders aimed at defusing unrest in the global financial hub.
On Friday the crowd had built to over 1,000 in the gritty, crowded suburb of Mong Kok, on the Kowloon side of the harbour, the scene of some of the most violent clashes between protesters and police and pro-Beijing groups last week.
Hong Kong Chief Secretary Carrie Lam said on Thursday (October 9) that the government had called off talks with the students because of their persistent calls to escalate action.
At Friday's rallies, protest leaders urged demonstrators to prepare for a protracted struggle instead of expanding the protests geographically.
It was unclear how long Hong Kong authorities will tolerate the occupation or how the standoff might be resolved. For now, however, the police presence remains thin with authorities seemingly reluctant to risk fresh flare-ups. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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