- Title: Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters rally in Hong Kong
- Date: 10th December 2016
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (DECEMBER 10, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SKYSCRAPER IN FINANCIAL DISTRICT FINANCIAL DISTRICT PRO-DEMOCRACY RALLY PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST AND LAWMAKER, LEUNG KWOK HUNG, SPEAKING ON STAGE WEARING A HEADPIECE DENOUNCING HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE, LEUNG CHUN-YING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST AND LAWMAKER, LEUNG KWOK HUNG, SAYING: "It's a coup, a coup. I think CY Leung, the chief executive, and his government want to write off the result of the election." BANNER SHOWING LEUNG PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS' UMBRELLAS AND BANNERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) STUDENT LEADER, JOSHUA WONG, SAYING: "How Beijing government overrides the judicial independence and legislature is just ignoring the democratically elected leader." PROTESTERS SEATED PEOPLE HOLDING BANNERS SUPPORTING PRO-DEMOCRACY LAWMAKER, LAU SIU LAI PARTICIPANTS OF RALLY SHOUTING (Cantonese): "I WANT UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE" (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL, GORDON POON, SAYING: "I am actually quite surprised that all these political upheavals are not reflected yet in our financial markets. Because if you know the ratings of China, I mean the mainland China, the People's Republic, and the ratings of Hong Kong SAR are very different. Right? Because we have perceived rule of law, perceived separation of Hong Kong and the mainland. But at this moment Hong Kong looks like the mainland, so I think Hong Kong should be downgraded. Of course I don't want that happen. But I am surprised that the financial market is not seeing the way that they should see it." VARIOUS OF PRO-DEMOCRACY SUPPORTERS CHANTING TAIWAN FLAGS PRO-DEMOCRACY SUPPORTERS DANCING POLICE PRO-BEIJING GROUP "DEFEND HK CAMPAIGN" PRESIDENT, PO CHUN CHUNG, LEADING CHANTS PRO-BEIJING SUPPORTERS CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (Cantonese) PRO-BEIJING GROUP "DEFEND HK CAMPAIGN" PRESIDENT, PO CHUN CHUNG, SAYING: "We are here to recover the debts on what pan-democracy people have done. Because they initiated the illegal Occupy Central two years ago and the radical pro-independent people caused the Mong Kok riot during the Chinese New Year. Now they are passing the buck for dividing the society on to Leung Chung Ying, which I think is unfair to our chief executive. " PRO-BEIJING SUPPORTERS AND PRO-DEMOCRACY SUPPORTERS ON DIFFERENT SIDES OF ROAD
- Embargoed: 25th December 2016 15:47
- Keywords: protest demonstration Hong Kong China elections
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: China
- Reuters ID: LVA0015CAVXAF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Several hundred protesters rallied in Hong Kong on Saturday (December 10) against a perceived crackdown on pro-democracy lawmakers.
Two elected pro-independence lawmakers were disqualified last month and a further four pan-democrats, including Leung Kwok-hung, are facing a judicial review.
"It's a coup, a coup. I think CY Leung, the chief executive, and his government want to write off the result of the election," Leung said at the protest denouncing Hong Kong's Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
The rally comes a day after the unexpected announcement on Friday (December 9) by embattled chief executive that he will not run for a second term due to family reasons.
Student activist Joshua Wong said that the moves by the government to get rid of pro-democracy candidates goes against Hong Kong's Basic Law.
"How Beijing government overrides the judicial independence and legislature is just ignoring the democratically elected leader," he said.
China's parliament passed a ruling last month effectively barring two elected Hong Kong pro-independence politicians from taking office, Beijing's most direct intervention in the territory's legal and political system since the 1997 handover.
The rare move by Beijing came after Yau Wai-ching, 25, and Baggio Leung, 30, pledged allegiance to the "Hong Kong nation" and displayed a banner declaring "Hong Kong is not China" during a swearing-in ceremony for the city's Legislative Council in October.
The National People's Congress in Beijing ruled that lawmakers must swear allegiance to Hong Kong as part of China and that candidates would be disqualified if they changed the wording of their oath of office or if they failed to take it in a sincere and solemn manner.
Foreign and local businesses in the global financial hub are watching political developments closely, stressing the importance of the rule of the law to the city's international reputation.
"At this moment Hong Kong looks like the mainland, so I think Hong Kong should be downgraded. Of course I don't want that happen. But I am surprised that the financial market is not seeing the way that they should see it," financial services worker, Gordon Poon, said.
Before the rally, pro-establishment supporters faced off with pro-democracy supporters in a largely good-natured shouting match from two sides of the road.
Pro-establishment groups loyal to Beijing claim the pan-democrats and pro-independence groups are to blame for fracturing Hong Kong's society.
"We are here to recover the debts on what pan-democracy people have done. Because they initiated the illegal Occupy Central two years ago and the radical pro-independent people caused the Mong Kok riot during the Chinese New Year. Now they are passing the buck for dividing the society on to Leung Chung Ying, which I think is unfair to our chief executive," president of the pro-Beijing 'Defend Hong Kong' group, Po Chun Chung, said.
Britain returned Hong Kong to Chinese control in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that gives the territory wide-ranging autonomy, including judicial freedom guided by a mini-constitution called the Basic Law. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
