Despite typhoon rains, tens of thousands of protesters marched on Hong Kong on Monday to demand fully democratic elections and the resignation of the city’s unelected leader, Leung Chun-ying.
More than 100,000 demonstrators marched and chanted for a full democracy on a day that marks the sixteenth anniversary of China’s release from British rule, according to Voice of America.
A large number of the protesters called for the city’s unelected leader, Leung Chun-ying, to step down and demanded a fully democratic election to fill his chief executive post in 2017.
Despite the country’s pledge to allow a direct poll in 2017, Chinese leaders’ actions have hinted that the rules could be rigged to disallow opposing candidates to participate in the election, reports Reuters.
Many in China have become concerned with high levels of meddling by leaders of Beijing’s Communist Party.
“I'm very pessimistic about universal suffrage in 2017,” commented Brian Tam, a 21-year-old student waving a Union Jack. “The Chinese government says they will select candidates, which is not really the true definition of universal suffrage.”
Hong Kong has become a central location for young, politicized individuals, who identify more as Hong Kong citizens than Chinese citizens. Beijing, which has become increasingly concerned with these tendencies, wants Hong Kong natives to show more nationalistic pride.
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