Hong Kong student protesters agree to talks but leader refuses to quit

Students whose peaceful pro-democracy protests have gripped Hong Kong on Friday agreed to hold talks with the government while vowing to continue their occupation, as the city’s underfire leader refused to stand down. Huge crowds have shut down central areas of the Chinese city with mass sit-ins all week and had set a midnight Thursday deadline for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to quit and for Beijing to guarantee the former British colony full democracy. With his office besieged by thousands of protesters and tensions with police high, a defiant Leung appeared minutes before midnight rejecting calls to go, but offered talks to one prominent student group in a bid to break the impasse.

Hong Kong people shall continue (their) occupying movement until genuine universal suffrage comes to light.

Hong Kong Federation of Students in a statement

Hong Kong is set to return to work Friday after a two-day public holiday, but major roads and transport routes remain crippled by the chaos. The students had threatened to surround or occupy government buildings if Leung did not step down, and the police had warned of serious consequences if the protesters carried out that threat.

Asia-Pacific Occupy Central