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Thousands of university students from across Hong Kong formed a sea of white. Photo: Sam Tsang

Thousands join Hong Kong students' democracy protest as classroom boycott begins

Organisers will today take their fight to the doors of the Hong Kong government

STAFF

Students will take their fight for democracy to government headquarters today, after thousands formed a sea of white across the Chinese University campus to launch a week-long class boycott yesterday.

Organiser the Federation of Students estimated that 13,000 people turned up at the Sha Tin campus - including teachers, secondary school pupils and members of the public, as well as local and mainland students.

Organiser the Federation of Students estimated that 13,000 people turned up at the campus - including teachers, secondary school pupils and members of the public, as well as local and mainland students. Photo: Reuters
"The turnout is encouraging," secretary general Alex Chow Yong-kang said. "This is not just a matter for the students, but for Hongkongers as a whole."

Watch: Thousands of Hong Kong university students join week-long class boycott for democracy

Chow called on the public to join the fight today as the venue switches to Tamar Park, outside government headquarters in Admiralty. Protesters are expected to approach the office of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, where the Executive Council meets this morning, to demand Leung address the students.

Chow reiterated the students' demands: allow the public to nominate candidates for chief executive in 2017; abolish functional constituencies in the Legislative Council; and apologise for and retract Beijing's ruling limiting political reform. If the government refused, he said Leung, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and key ministers should quit.

Last month, Beijing ruled that while Hong Kong could pick its leader by "one person, one vote" in 2017, only two or three candidates could run. They must win majority support from a 1,200-strong nominating committee likely to be dominated by Beijing loyalists, meaning Beijing's critics could be "screened out".

An supporter reacts as students from various universities take part in a demonstration. Photo: Reuters
Among those at yesterday's rally was Tammy Yiu, a first-year student studying social work at the private Shue Yan University in North Point who skipped two lectures to attend.

"I don't want to remain silent," she said. "When society is being divided, I do not want to stand on the wrong side."

University students chant slogans at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo: Reuters
The strike is seen as a precursor to Occupy Central, the civil disobedience exercise in which thousands are expected to blockade roads to demand democracy.

Occupy co-organiser Dr Chan Kin-man, a Chinese University sociologist, did not urge his students to strike, but was pleased that almost two-thirds of sociology students showed up.

The government said in a statement that it respected students' pursuit of democracy, but believed it was better for political development to take a step forwards rather than standing still.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Thousands join student protest as boycott starts
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