Cam MacMurchy, It has been the summer of unrest in Hong Kong. Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets on July 1 to demand full universal suffrage for the 2017 chief executive election or else they threatened to paralyze Central, the city’s central business district; weeks later, a counter-rally took place that opposes the protest and promoted harmony in Hong Kong.
After this back-and-forth all summer the other shoe has finally dropped. At a news conference today in Beijing broadcast live in Hong Kong, Li Fei, a member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, announced that Hong Kong people would be allowed to vote for their next chief executive in 2017, but only from a list of candidates pre-vetted by Beijing. The decision was widely expected, and now the leaders of Occupy Central intend on pushing forward with civil disobedience plans.
Several thousand people are gathered along Hong Kong’s waterfront tonight. Below are some photos and tweets from the event.
@byAlanWong: “pic.twitter.com/huUPsVINXN” Awesome photo. Why does Hong Kong at night always look like a scene from “Blade Runner”?
— Mike Flugennock (@flugennock) August 31, 2014
Lights up for democracy #hongkong @SCMP_News pic.twitter.com/BCA33hwhom
— Danny Lee 李嘉洪 (@JournoDannyAsia) August 31, 2014
rain pours in Tamar as students vow to initiate strikes in uni and secondary schools soon for HKdemocracy @SCMP_News pic.twitter.com/0gMc0XvFxJ
— Jeffie Lam (@jeffielam) August 31, 2014
— Snufkin (@Anon_Snufkin) August 31, 2014
Democratic Party founder Martin Lee listens backstage. Looking statesmanlike @SCMP_News pic.twitter.com/EN2xGNH8jR
— Danny Lee 李嘉洪 (@JournoDannyAsia) August 31, 2014
Student leader, Scholarism’s Agnes Chow giving rousing speech as rain relents outside #HongKong gov’t HQ pic.twitter.com/ig8xkH9zGo
— Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) August 31, 2014
Thousands gathered under lovely quarter moon and stunning HK skyline to protest Beijing decision on elections. pic.twitter.com/8nOpqVQc08
— Mike Forsythe 傅才德 (@PekingMike) August 31, 2014
A sea of lights pic.twitter.com/74fADa06Ae
— Joyce Hau (@jhau727) August 31, 2014
Lights everywhere #OccupyCentral #HongKong for #democracy pic.twitter.com/NQn1k7Yyne
— Danny Lee 李嘉洪 (@JournoDannyAsia) August 31, 2014
闪耀民主RT @scharlt: A show of hands in #hongkong #occupycentral pic.twitter.com/PEeu3QdOPB — westmoon (@westmoon) August 31, 2014