Students plan to occupy British consulate over Joint Declaration ‘breaches’

Students plan to occupy roads surrounding the British consulate in anger at a lack of support from London for their pro-democracy movement.

Activists have put up large posters around the city’s protest areas announcing the occupation at the consulate in Admiralty next Friday (November 21). A Facebook page for the event has more than 700 likes.

Organisers say they want to show their anger at Britain for not standing up to Beijing over “breaches” of the agreement the two countries made before Hong Kong was handed back to China by the UK in 1997, designed to protect the city’s social systems and way of life.

“We are angry at the way that the British government has for many years denied that China has actually breached the declaration by interfering with Hong Kong politics,” Anna-Kate Choi, the coordinator for the Occupy British Consulate group said.

“They have the responsibility to make sure that the joint declaration has been implemented properly and that democracy and the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong has been protected,” Choi said.

She hoped for a turnout of hundreds “maybe even thousands”, with secondary school pupils spearheading the protest.

The British consulate said they had no comment.