Hong Kong: High school students and elders together, to demonstrate once again that the demands for freedom and democracy of the Hong Kong population are ageless: this afternoon, around 500 people gathered in the center of the former British colony for an event organized by secondary school students and the so-called “silver-haired group”. Authorized by the police, the Chater Garden rally follows the astonishing victory for the democratic camp in the district elections of last November 24, taking control of 17 of the 18 district councils of the city.
One of the organizers of the event, 64-year-old Tam Kwok-sun, hopes the event will keep the protest movement alive until all requests are met. “I will volunteer to help our advisors understand what citizens think,” says Tam. “It is important that residents are involved not only through voting, but also through active participation in community life”. A 17-year-old student who calls himself Marco has brought his textbooks to study during the gathering, as he has to prepare for the next exams. “Although the mobilization has been underway for almost six months – he says – citizens should continue to participate in peaceful and rational demonstrations. As a Hong Kong, we must continue to use different methods so that leaders hear our requests. The battle in the PolyU shows how bad the government is because it allowed the young protesters to go hungry and remain trapped “.
So far about 5,890 people have been arrested in connection with the protests, of which almost 40% are students, 910 of whom are under the age of 18. AsiaNews.it
