Pro-government rally draws thousands in support of CY

Chinese national flags are no longer synonymous with anti-Japanese protests on the mainland after hundreds of Hongkongers marched with the banners and expressed support for the embattled chief executive on Sunday.

The national emblem was accompanied by Hong Kong flags and nonstop chanting as backers of Leung Chun-ying braved cold weather for the rally.

The afternoon march, organised by Caring Hong Kong Power, took place ahead of a Civil Human Rights Front protest scheduled for Tuesday to demand that Leung step down. That march is expected to have 50,000 participants.

On Sunday, police said 2,400 participants showed up at the starting point; organisers said as many as 40,000 attended. Marchers were predominantly elderly and middle-aged people. Two journalists were reportedly assaulted by a Leung supporter.

Organisers said the rally served as a counterbalance against the pan-democrats’ repeated attempts to overthrow the chief executive.

Leung’s opponents accused the group of shifting attention away from what they call a major issue – the chief executive’s credibility. Leung has been embroiled in a scandal over illegal structures at his house on the Peak after admitting mistakes in handling the issue. Critics have cast doubt on his integrity, and his popularity has remained low.

A Leung supporter, retiree Liu Shing, called on pan-democrats to stop magnifying trivialities, saying on Sunday: “The government should focus on solving social issues.”