Document text
By Bloomberg News December 10. 2014 9:45AM Hong Kong protesters dismantle tents before police clearance Hong Kong's tent city is getting dismantled as pro-democracy protesters pack their bags and student leaders called for supporters to rally on the last day of their street occupation. HONG KONG — Hong Kong's tent city is getting dismantled as pro-democracy protesters pack their bags and student leaders called for supporters to rally on the last day of their street occupation. With police pledging to clear the streets around the city government's offices Thursday, thousands of people packed the roads this evening, snapping pictures of yellow umbrellas, posters demanding democracy and protesters continuing to create artwork. Some of the tents lining the roads were being taken down. The clearance Thursday will end 11 weeks of student-led protests, with China refusing to budge on its decision to control the nomination process for the city's first leadership election in 2017. The focus will shift to the Legislative Council, where pro-democracy lawmakers have pledged to block the passage of the electoral bill without substantial changes. "We didn't get any of the things we were fighting for, but I've never seen Hong Kong's citizens show such solidarity," said Ken Tsang, 39, a member of the Civic Party who was allegedly assaulted by seven police officers on Oct. 15. "You can clear up the streets but we will just come back. Hong Kong people will fight until we've got real democracy." The Hong Kong Federation of Students and Scholarism, the two student groups behind the protests, called for people to rally tonight at the main protest site in Admiralty. They also urged people to gather at the site at 9 a.m. Thursday, when bailiffs and the police will start removing the barricades and tents that have blocked major roads and snarled traffic for more than two months. As public support waned and police action looked increasingly probable in the past two weeks, banners proclaiming that protesters will return have sprung up. Some of the most prominent artwork, including a statue called the Umbrella Man, have been removed. The protests have been called the Umbrella Movement, after demonstrators sheltered behind them when the police fired tear gas and used pepper spray on Sept. 28 in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Police Tuesday warned that they will take "resolute action" against anyone who interferes with the removal of blockades Thursday. Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, the city's No. 2 official, Wednesday urged the students to clear out voluntarily over the next 20 hours. With only hours to go before the expected clearance, hundreds of people queued up to receive hand-made leather yellow ribbons and trinkets of the umbrellas made by the protesters. Some pro-democracy supporters remained at the site even as they feared government action against those involved in the movement. "It doesn't matter if they clear the area, we won't give up," said Elise Shek, 20, a fine arts student who was creating chalk pictures along Connaught Road. "We are worried about repercussions, but it can't stop me. We are doing the right thing." Hong Kong will shut its government offices Thursday while the clearance takes place, and Lam cautioned student leaders against increasing their numbers at the Admiralty site. Violent clashes broke out on the night of Nov. 30 as the police beat back an attempt by protesters to surround the government offices to put pressure on Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. Options for the demonstrators have shrunk steadily with the failure of the action, the surrender of other protest leaders to the police and the clearance of the Mong Kok district site in the past two weeks. Talks have failed with Leung and Lam both saying that what the students want -- open nominations for 2017 chief executive candidates -- is against the Basic Law, the city's de facto constitution. "The government is not responding to any of our requests, so it will be meaningless to stay," said Andrew Sin, 33, a volunteer helping with supplies. "The movement has been going on for two months; its very difficult to ask people to stay. But at least we've made a record." Lam said Wednesday she would be willing to meet students as part of the second round of public consultations on the proposed 2017 electoral reform. "As far as dialogue with students is concerned, I have said on several occasions in public that once we launch the second round of consultations on electoral arrangements for universal suffrage in the selection of the chief executive in 2017, I am happy to meet with all sectors, of course including the student representatives," she said. Iris Lam, a 23-year-old artist, said she's lost faith in the two student groups' ability to accomplish their goals. "I've learned to pursue my own democracy dream by myself, not by anyone else," she said as journalists and others walked around the protest site taking photos. "I used to believe in those organizations, but now i will do it on my own." — With assistance from Fion Li and Dominic Lau in Hong Kong. http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20141210/NEWS/141219984 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->