Hundreds rally to mark third anniversary of Hong Kong’s Occupy democracy protests
Demonstration is first time the annual event has been held without any of the three student leaders of the 2014 movement
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Hong Kong’s financial district on Thursday night to mark the third anniversary of the Occupy pro-democracy protests, with street booths, banners and yellow umbrellas reappearing in scenes reminiscent of the street blockades of 2014.
The three co-founders of the civil disobedience movement, Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Dr Chan Kin-man and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, returned to the site in Admiralty, outside government headquarters, that protesters occupied for 79 days in the name of democracy.
It was their first visit to the area since public nuisance charges were brought against them over their roles in the protests three years ago.
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It was also the first time the annual event was held without any of the three student leaders of the campaign. Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Alex Chow Yong-kang were sentenced to jail last month for storming the forecourt of the government’s office compound in the run-up to the road blockades.
Law was also one of four Hong Kong lawmakers disqualified from the city’s legislature by the High Court in July over improper oath-taking last year.
Participants at the rally included a group of third-year social work students from City University. One of them, C.Y. Ling, said he was there to remember what had driven people out into the streets three years ago.
