Pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong have raged on for more than a week, with residents taking to the streets to demand more of a say in the way their government is run, and the ability to freely and independently nominate and elect their own leaders. If you haven’t been following the story, you can catch up with Pedestrian’s explainer, which lays out the precise whys and wherefores of the situation.
Since we published that story, things have intensified further. Though protests were waning by late last week, on Friday night, a group of protesters were attacked by what some allege to be a gang of triads from mainland China. This attack, which hospitalised 20, reinvigorated protests, and The Australian report that overnight, some 40,000 people gathered at an Occupy Central rally.
The Chinese government have warned, ominously, that tolerance for the protests is “running out”, while in Hong Kong itself, local government are also trying to quell the protests. In a televised speech late last night, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said that police will take “all actions necessary” to clear the streets and restore social order by Monday.
Some speculated that there would be raids carried out last night on key protest areas, but this has not yet happened. The threat of further violence continues, however, as Mr Leung said in his speech that “the situation may probably evolve into a state beyond control and will have serious consequences to public safety and social order.”
There have been reports of violence throughout today, with word this morning of police using pepper spray on student demonstrators in Mong Kok. Hong Kong’s main student union has reportedly called off negotiations with police until they address their perceived failure to act on Friday’s clashes, and rumours that paid government thugs have been used to attack protesters.
Hong Kong university leaders have reportedly been visiting protest sites through the day today “begging students to leave” and urging them to make safety a priority, but many remain steadfast. The situation continues to develop, and it is unknown what kind of action the government will undertake tonight.
Photo: Chris McGrath via Getty Images
