Students march to CY Leung's door as dissent grows
We will force him to respond, vow students, as classroom boycott organiser threatens to escalate action in civil-disobedience campaign
Students staging a classroom boycott marched to Government House last night in an escalation of the civil-disobedience campaign against Beijing's restrictive framework for political reform.
Minor scuffles broke out last night after the protesters defied police advice and insisted on marching on the road - instead of the pavement - when they reached the junction of Lower Albert Road and Garden Road.
Watch: Student protesters march to Government House and stage overnight sit-in for democracy
Earlier, the students had demanded that the chief executive meet them at Tamar Park, near the government offices.
But he responded only in a written statement while meeting secondary students in a closed ceremony. A one-day boycott for secondary students takes place today to complement the week-long action by tertiary students.
Boycott organiser the Federation of Students vowed the campaign would continue, and said that the roads to Leung's official residence in Upper Albert Road would be blocked overnight. The week-long Tamar Park rally may also be extended.
The federation's secretary general, Alex Chow Yong-kang, said: "We need to go to our communities and tell the people that our government is seriously ill. We cannot let this virus infect our next generation."
The boycott - entering its fourth day with more than 1,000 people attending public lectures in the park during the day - is a precursor to Occupy Central's mass sit-in to block roads in the business district, probably on National Day next Wednesday.
Yvonne Leung, president of the University of Hong Kong students' union, said: "Obviously Leung [Chun-ying] did not respond to our request to show up in Tamar Park.
"This is definitely not the end of our actions and we will escalate them."
"I can't allow myself to be watching TV at home while the students are fighting for our future," she said.
A government spokesman issued a statement in the morning saying the chief executive and the government "understand and respect students' aspirations and perseverance on democracy".
The chief executive wrote on his blog that he had exchanged views on reform with 4,000 students through both a face-to-face meeting and an online forum.
"It's correct for secondary students to care about current affairs and the society, but class boycott is another matter. It is not about current affairs, it is political mobilisation," he said.
The striking students were disappointed by Leung's response and vowed to "arrest" him.
A social science student who gave his name only as Gabriel said: "We are going to Government House to tell Leung that he doesn't deserve to live there, to be our chief executive and to rule us.
"He should be serving us, not the Communist Party."
Student representatives are to meet today to decide whether the week-long boycott should be extended.
Watch: Students prepare for fifth day of rallies after all night Government House sit-in
