Hong Kong activists vow ‘era of disobedience’ over clamp on democracy

Pro-democracy activists vowed to bring Hong Kong’s financial hub to a standstill after China’s parliament rejected their demands for the right to freely choose the former British colony’s next leader in 2017. On Monday, angry protesters heckled a senior Chinese official after he defended the decision from the standing committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) to control which candidates can stand in the next leadership election. The next chief executive will be elected by popular vote in 2017, but candidates must each be backed by more than half the members of a 1,200-strong “broadly representative nominating committee”. Democracy advocates in the semi-autonomous Chinese city say this means Beijing will be able to ensure a sympathetic slate of candidates and exclude opponents.

This is one person, one vote, but there is no choice. They have that in North Korea but you can’t call it democracy.

Emily Lau, Democratic Party chairwoman

The pro-democracy group Occupy Central said it would go ahead with its threat to take over the city’s Central financial district in protest, at an unspecified date. Hundreds rallied in a park outside the city’s legislature late Sunday chanting “No to fake democracy!” and blowing vuvuzelas. Public discontent in the former British colony handed back to China in 1997 is at its highest for years over perceived interference by Beijing, with the election method for the chief executive a touchstone issue.

A new chapter is unfolding in Hong Kong. It is an era of civil disobedience.

Benny Tai, co-founder of Occupy Hong Kong

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