Hong Kong Protestors March for 13th Straight Weekend Despite Ban on Demonstration
by Jordan Hilger, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Hong Kong protestors marched out Saturday night in spite of city officials having banned a petition for a demonstration commemorating the 5th anniversary of China’s ruling against fully democratic elections in the former British colony.
Police fired water cannons and tear gas at demonstrators dressed in all black near the Wan Chai district, where a police station had been barricaded by protestors weeks before in defiance of tactics many say have been disproportionately harsh.
“I do believe the government deliberately arrested several leaders of the democratic camp to try to threaten Hong Kong people not to come out to fight against the evil law,” said Lam Cheuk-Ting, a pro-democracy politician, with respect to the arrest of movement leaders Joshua Wong and Anges Chow yesterday ahead of the planned protest.
In 2014, China approved direct elections for Hong Kong, with the proviso that elected candidates would have to be vetted by a nominating committee.
The tide of public opinion against perceived Chinese meddling in the “one country, two systems” mandate that has governed Hong Kong since 1984 turned in February when Carrie lam’s government proposed a bill that would allow China to extradite those charged with a crime in Hong Kong to the mainland for trial.