Crowd rallies for pro-democrats

MORE than 300 protesters rallied to demand the government stop its bid to eject four pro-democracy members from the legislature for alleged improper swearing-in.

Aside from the four caught in a legal battle with the government – Leung Kwok-hung (梁國雄), Nathan Law Kwun-chung (羅冠聰), Edward Yiu Chung-yim (姚松炎) and Lau Siu-lai (劉小麗) – the march was joined by eight other pro-democracy lawmakers from four parties. Notable individuals from the pan-democrat camp also made an appearance, including University of Hong Kong professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting (戴耀廷) and student activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung (黃之鋒).

The crowd also demanded universal suffrage in chief executive elections and urged Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor (林鄭月娥) to narrow the wealth gap and address welfare issues. Protesters marched from Causeway Bay to Central, holding picket boards that stated: ‘Stop Political Persecution’ and ‘Retract the 31 August decision’.

“Without democracy, there will be no reconciliation," independent lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick (朱凱.) chanted, adding that if the pro-democracy lawmakers were ejected, more people in the pan-democrat camp would run in the by-election. Lawmaker Leung said the wealth gap is the source of social unrest and wished Lam “got the guts” to meet their demands for universal suffrage.

Civil Human Rights Front convener Au Nok-hin (區諾軒) said his group will try to get approval to stage a protest on 1 July at Civic Square, a closed area since 2014.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 28 April 2017)

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