Thousands of Hong Kong protesters demand full democracy and resignation of pro-Beijing leader - Polidicks

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/g9nd.jpg[/img] [t]http://imgkk.com/i/-4hk.jpg[/t] [url]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9774977/Hong-Kong-thousands-protest-over-Beijing-backed-leader.html[/url] [quote=Telegraph]Tens of thousands of people marched in Hong Kong on the first day of 2013 to call for the city's Beijing-backed leader to step down over allegations he lied about illegal renovations at his mansion. Police said 26,000 people joined the march at its peak while organisers said 130,000 took part. They carried banners and chanted slogans urging the leader, Leung Chun-ying, to resign. Some held signs depicting Mr Leung as Pinocchio or with wolf-like fangs, a play on Leung's nickname, the wolf. One demonstrator was dressed as a wolf wearing a Communist Red Guard uniform, a reference to fears over his close ties to China's leaders. Many waved Hong Kong's British colonial-era flag. In the evening, about 2,500 members of a small radical group briefly blocked several roads after they were stopped by authorities from marching to Mr Leung's official government residence. At one point, protesters pushed and shoved with police. In a sign of the widening political divisions in the semiautonomous region 15 years after Britain handed control back to China, thousands of other Hong Kongers joined a rival march held in support of Mr Leung on the same day by pro-government groups. Organisers of that march said 60,000 people took part while police put the number at 8,000. The day of protest comes half a year after Mr Leung took office after being chosen by a 1,193-member committee of mostly pro-Beijing elites. Leung won the job of Hong Kong's leader, known as the chief executive, after a scandal over a huge, illegal basement brought down his rival. But illegal structures were later discovered at Mr Leung's house, prompting politicians to accuse him of covering it up and calling for his impeachment. Demonstrators are using the controversy to push for full democracy for Hong Kong. Mr Leung's popularity has plunged since he took office because of the scandal over his house and other controversies. Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 and granted Western-style civil liberties not seen on mainland China. Beijing has pledged that Hong Kong's leader can be directly elected by 2017. Full democracy for the legislature, where some representatives are chosen by business groups, is promised for 2020.[/quote]

China protesting? Well, it seems like 2013 is gonna be good year after all :D

[QUOTE=HeatPipe;39062618]China protesting? Well, it seems like 2013 is gonna be good year after all :D[/QUOTE] Hong Kong is a special zone, different from China but integrated.

[QUOTE=HeatPipe;39062618]China protesting? Well, it seems like 2013 is gonna be good year after all :D[/QUOTE] Hong Kong. Much of Hong Kong still has strong ties to Britain. When we handed over they were really damn unhappy about being given back to China, they're really resistant and they're still trying to enforce laws we made as China is trying to strip them away.

[QUOTE=HeatPipe;39062618]China protesting? Well, it seems like 2013 is gonna be good year after all :D[/QUOTE] Hong Kong has so much autonomy you could almost consider it a city-state but with strong Chinese influences. They have a free press and media and all that. There is even border control between HK and the rest of China. HK has democratic elections but with a very weird electoral system that gives pro-Beijing candidates an advantage. People want a fairer electoral system and a directly elected Chief Executive (basically the President/Mayor of HK)

China will never let Hong Kong go now that they have it. Special area be damned.

[QUOTE=Zambies!;39062625]Hong Kong is a special zone, different from China but integrated.[/QUOTE] Oh, didn't knew that.

[QUOTE=HeatPipe;39062618]China protesting? Well, it seems like 2013 is gonna be good year after all :D[/QUOTE] China has many small protests year-round.

"Thousands" unfortunately will never go anywhere. For even an inch of movement anywhere it would have to be protests in the millions however by then you're probably on the front door of a revolt.

[QUOTE=MIPS;39063512]"Thousands" unfortunately will never go anywhere. For even an inch of movement anywhere it would have to be protests in the millions however by then you're probably on the front door of a revolt.[/QUOTE] Only seven million people in Hong Kong, "millions" in a single protest would be quite unrealistic 160,000 is impressive

That's still barely 1% of the population.

[QUOTE=MIPS;39063703]That's still barely 1% of the population.[/QUOTE] it's around 2.3% which is a lot

[QUOTE=MIPS;39063703]That's still barely 1% of the population.[/QUOTE] Haven't you ever heard that ol' saying, 'One in every three thousand people replies properly to your survey'? One in every couple hundred of people are willing to go out there and protest, they account for the rest of their populace.

[QUOTE=MIPS;39063703]That's still barely 1% of the population.[/QUOTE] Compared to 0.00004% of the population in protests held where you live. What's the point you're trying to make? that's quite a sizable number.

Britain should take control again.

[QUOTE=Scrimp;39066650]Britain should take control again.[/QUOTE] I think they'd appreciate independence.

[QUOTE=Swebonny;39066763]I think they'd appreciate independence.[/QUOTE] Well they were carrying british colony flags at the march, but that could just be preferring independence from China over going back to Britain: [img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/01/01/article-0-16B62176000005DC-329_634x429.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=Hellduck;39066844]Well they were carrying british colony flags at the march, but that could just be preferring independence from China over going back to Britain: [img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/01/01/article-0-16B62176000005DC-329_634x429.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] I don't think that two flags really counts. Not to mention its probably just a symbolic nose rub at the Chinese Government rather than a genuine invitation to the British. I mean it wouldn't make sense in a democracy march.

[QUOTE=NoDachi;39066938]I don't think that two flags really counts. Not to mention its probably just a symbolic nose rub at the Chinese Government rather than a genuine invitation to the British. I mean it wouldn't make sense in a democracy march.[/QUOTE] [img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/01/01/article-0-16B61CD7000005DC-408_634x416.jpg[/img] And no I don't think it's an invitation, but I think it does show they'd prefer Britain over China.

I'm sure Hong Kong would prefer fairer democracy in their own region rather than reinventing British administrators.

Ah I got some data here: "According to HKPOP's 2007 poll, 25% of Hong Kongers prefer an independent Hong Kong rather than a SAR ruled by PRC, an increase from 22% in 2005, but 64.7% of Hong Kong people think it should not be independent. 33% of Hong Kong people said they would prefer independence if the Communist Party still rules PRC." It's in Chinese so translation of important data would be neat. [url]http://hkupop.hku.hk/english/release/release529.html[/url] [editline]2nd January 2013[/editline] I was in Hong Kong when they swore in Leung. Quite a lot of people demonstrated on the street. Also met the leader of an opposing party just standing by his stand talking and handing out fliers, was kinda fun to see. I was also lucky enough to see the chain of cars carrying the president of China.