Hong Kong Protests Escalate Despite Offer of Election Reform Talks | WPN World People News

Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to hold election reform talks soon in response to growing street protests in the port city.

But Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's request that thousands of demonstrators disperse and stop participating in what he called “illegal” protest efforts to block key city streets was ignored.

Authorities in Hong Kong repeatedly fired tear gas at protesters late Sunday and pledged to take even tougher actions if they did not disperse.

Meanwhile, some Hong Kong financial firms advised staff to work from home on Monday or go to secondary offices after demonstrators clashed with police on Sunday, Reuters reported later Sunday.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, whose offices overlook one of the main protest sites, told staff to "be cautious and avoid large gatherings" and advised managers to consider measures, including working from home, at clients' offices or at an alternative location, according to an email from the firm seen by Reuters.

Companies including consultants EY and CITIC Securities International, which are across the street from Hong Kong government headquarters where student activists started the protests, also told their staff to work remotely.

DBS Group Holdings, Singapore's biggest bank, will temporarily suspend services at its branch in the Admiralty neighborhood because of instability in the area, a bank spokesman said.

Pushing matches

At times on Sunday there were angry pushing matches between police armed with pepper spray and shields and protesters.

Pro-democracy protesters were also seen holding their hands in the air and repeatedly marching slowly toward police who fired tear gas outside government headquarters.

One student protestor called on the government to address days of demonstrations.

"I really hope that the government can come out to face the people. We have experienced five days of boycott of classes and two nights occupying here, we are not here to make disorder but to urge the government to face the people and students," the student said.

Work resumes on Monday in Hong Kong, and demonstrators are seeking to blockade parts of the city to protest recently revealed election guidelines from Beijing.

China's role in election

China said Hong Kong residents can elect their next leader in 2017, but they can only choose from a pool of only three candidates vetted by Beijing.

Demonstrators are calling for authorities to release protesters who have already been arrested and for true universal suffrage.

Police said several people suffered minor injuries in the clashes.

Pro-democracy advocate Edward Chin said, "So it's not the real democracy and they (Beijing) still want to remote control Hong Kong. But at the same time they are slowing planning about the reclaiming of Hong Kong prematurely."

On Sunday, Leung spoke to protesters for the first time since students began boycotting classes early last week. He pledged to soon hold talks on election reform, but did not give specifics.

Even if Leung hosts talks, it is unclear what difference that would make, as Beijing has already shown that it has the final say in such matters.

China has largely been silent about the protests, blocking any discussion of them online.

But on Sunday Beijing weighed in, saying it opposes all types of illegal behavior that undermine social stability.

In his remarks Sunday, Leung said the government would take “resolute” action against pro-democracy protesters if they refuse to stop what he called “illegal” efforts to blockade city streets.

But democracy activists in Hong Kong and members of what is called the Occupy Central With Peace and Love Movement pledged to block the city’s financial district.

Protesters undeterred

Benny Tai, a co-founder of Occupy Central, that while police are responding with more force than they have in the past, protesters are not deterred.

“We will continue our fight," Tai said. "We continue our action. Even if we cannot achieve it within a short period we will stand firm.”

Joyce is a student at the University of Hong Kong. She said she joined the protests because the government has left them with no other choice.

“We have tried many methods to ask for the government to listen to our opinion, but it turned out they are not doing that," Joyce said.

When Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, the territory was guaranteed a high degree of autonomy and freedoms under a form of rule that is called “one country, two systems.”

Residents in Hong Kong already enjoy freedoms that do not exist in China, but many feel the situation is eroding.

Source: Voice of America