HONG KONG—Pro-democracy rallies, expanding farther across Hong Kong on Wednesday, Chinas National Day holiday, threatened to escalate beyond the aims of some organizers and raise the chance of confrontation. Both the government and protesters had dug into their positions Tuesday: Protest organizers called on Leung Chun-ying, the citys chief executive, to resign by midnight or face growing masses on the streets. Mr. Leung urged protesters to return home in his first public remarks since police cracked down on protesters Sunday. (Latest: Hong Kong Protests Build on National Day) After the deadline passed, crowds fanned out to a provocative new site—Golden Bauhinia Square, the setting for celebrations of the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China—despite the warnings of some protest leaders who feared alienating the public or inciting a government crackdown. Other organizers, including 17-year-old student leader Joshua Wong, joined the protest there. As Chinas national anthem played and the flag was raised, around 30 protesters turned their backs and raised crossed hands in silence, while military planes and helicopters flew above. Some waved the Chinese flag upside down, contrasting with more than a hundred pro-government attendees with red caps, holding small flags of China and Hong Kong and shouting, Go away, dirty things! Before the ceremony began, protester Oscar Lai called it not a National day but a day of national shame. But in a departure from previous years—and from this past weekend when police used tear gas to disperse protesters—the protesters were left undisturbed by authorities. individual protesters to escalate to more violent actions that could incite a police response. I think police didnt stop us this year because of accelerated political pressure and mounted discontent in the society, said Mr. Wong. Just outside the square Wednesday, one group of protesters debated whether to continue their peaceful protest or whether they should take a more aggressive approach. If you want to win, you have to do something, but nobody knows exactly what to do, said Nick Wong, a dentist who joined the demonstrations Tuesday night. Richie Yue, a student at the University of Hong Kong, said he was in the area near Bauhinia Square Wednesday to ask protesters to leave, worrying that their presence veered too far from the goals of the Occupy Central activist movement, which advocates peaceful protests. By Wednesday afternoon, protests in Admiralty, where many government offices are located, showed no signs of abating. Despite the afternoon heat, crowds continued to swell and had a relaxed atmosphere. On Tuesday, crowds endured heavy rain and lightning to gather across Victoria Harbour on the luxury shopping strip on Canton Road, in the Tsim Sha Tsui district. Supplies such as bottled water and food were quickly ferried to the newcomers. Mr. Leung has chided protesters for endangering Hong Kongs economy and reputation, and said protests wouldnt change Beijings decision to effectively prescreen candidates for the election of Hong Kongs top leader—the issue at the root of the protests. The war of words underlined growing apprehension ahead of the weeklong holiday in China, which draws many mainlanders to Hong Kong to sightsee and shop. In Admiralty, many of the people present expressed concern that the rallies were becoming too confrontational. Cheung Yu-yeung, a student, said he feels the protests are getting out of control and expanding too quickly, with too many different agendas. We are not going to go against the police or Chinas government. We just want real open nominations for chief executive, he said. Early Wednesday, as the protests entered their sixth day, one of the main student-led groups, the Hong Kong Federation of Students, said on its Twitter account: We recommend protesters to secure already occupied areas now instead of expanding the movement. In a tweet around the same time, another major student group, Scholarism, discouraged protesters from going to Bauhinia Square for the flag-raising ceremony. The combination of events to celebrate patriotism toward China and the start of a big shopping week fueled fears on the streets Tuesday night that the city would try to clear them out. In a sign that the protests are starting to affect commerce, French cosmetics company LOréal banned its staff from business travel to Hong Kong until next week, the first major international company to publicly acknowledge concern around the citys turmoil. The Hong Kong office of Chinas Foreign Ministry sent out a letter on Sunday to foreign diplomats in the city, advising them to stay away from the sites of assembly…so as to avoid violating the law and affecting their own safety and interests. The U.S. Consulate confirmed it received the letter. Daytime temperatures Tuesday hit 86 degrees Fahrenheit before giving way to loud thunderstorms in the evening. Protesters stayed out, already wielding umbrellas to shield against the sun as well as pepper spray. Organizers expected the largest number of people in the streets since protests began in earnest on Friday night. Many demonstrators, such as 67-year-old grandmother Tam Kam Yuk, thought it was particularly important to show support on the eve of a holiday heavy on symbolism. This is my first time out, she said. Even though the chances are slim, we should fight for what we want. For the first time in the latest wave of protests that have largely lacked an organizing authority, student organizers and Occupy Central leaders presented a united front, standing together at a joint news conference to blame Mr. Leung for failing to take residents wishes for free elections into account and for authorizing the use of tear gas against protesters Sunday night Only if Leung Chun-ying steps down can there be a new government to restart constitutional reform, said Chan Kin-man, a co-founder of Occupy Central, the group that has been the main force calling for civil disobedience in Hong Kong. Alongside him was Alex Chow, leader of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, who threatened to widen protests to government buildings unless Mr. Leung acknowledged protesters demands. The student-led protest group said there had been no communication between it and the government early Wednesday. Some protesters worried about the potential consequences of the threat to expand protests. If Occupy spreads to more places, it may actually lessen support because there are some people who support the movement but still want to be able to go about their jobs and daily lives, said K.Y. Chan, a 30-year-old office worker who was out with five other family members. In the face of continuing protests, authorities appear to have several choices. They could allow protests go on in the hope they lose energy before the start of the next workweek, but letting them remain beyond that could be a problem. The longer the protesters remain on the street, the more likely that incidents will occur, said Steve Vickers, a former senior officer in Hong Kongs police force. Forcing out protesters spread across three city districts, some of which are among the most densely populated on earth, would be a challenge for police, security experts said. Dispersing any kind of protest should always be the last option you look at, said Adam Leggat, who advises police forces for Densus Group. Mr. Leung reiterated his confidence in the citys police force and said he doesnt see a need to seek help from Chinese military forces, which has been a concern among many protesters. When there are problems in Hong Kong society, our police force should be able to resolve them and we wont need to mobilize the Peoples Liberation Army, he told reporters. Hong Kong stocks fell 1.3% Tuesday, hitting their lowest levels in 2½ months.Several banks, including Standard Chartered Bank PLC, HSBC Holdings HSBA.LN -0.89% PLC, and Bank of China Hong Kong said their operations were affected by the protests. Several bank branches reopened, but Hong Kongs central bank said 19 banks kept some branches and offices closed Tuesday. —Juro Osawa, Ned Levin, Enda Curran and Mia Lamar contributed to this article. Write to Jason Chow at jason.chow@wsj and Enda Curran at enda.curran@wsj
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 21:15:10 +0000
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