Protesters hold banners and yellow umbrellas during a pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong on Feb. 1.(Photo: Billy H.C. Kwok, Bloomberg)
Thousands of pro-democracy protesters returned to the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday, in the first major rally since mass protests last year.
Holding yellow umbrellas, the symbol of last year's Occupy protests, the demonstrators chanted "No fake universal suffrage. I want genuine universal suffrage."
The protesters oppose the Chinese government's decision that candidates in the 2017 election for Hong Kong chief executive will be vetted by a largely Beijing-controlled nominating committee.
The final election plan must be approved by a two-thirds majority in Hong Kong's Legislative Council before submitting to authorities in Beijing. But pro-democracy legislators, who hold 40% of the seats, have said they would veto the screening proposal.
Key figures of the Occupy Central movement including Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Chan Kin-man and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming led the protest, the
South China Morning Post reported.
"This is pseudo universal suffrage, we do not have the rights to elect who we want," said protester Julia Choi.
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Housewife Carol Leung told the
SCMP that she was protesting because she was afraid for her 8-year-old son's future. "I don't want him to grow up in a city where he will go out on the street and suddenly be beaten by the police," she said. "I am afraid that Hong Kong will become like [mainland] China. I am pushing him to study harder so he can go overseas for school when he is older."
Shops and retailers were divided over the protests, however.
"Many people have become antagonistic to such demonstrations," snack shop manager Alan Yu King-bun told the
SCMP. "It's annoying, it affects our business and to be honest, they won't be able to achieve anything."
Jason Pang, who owns a bag and luggage store, told the paper: "They have an objective so even if it did affect our business a bit, we'll still accept it. The government must look out for all strata of society, not just their rich friends."
Thousands of pro-democracy protesters occupied three busy neighborhoods in Hong Kong over several months last year. Police cleared out the last the of the protest sites on Dec. 15.
Contributing: Associated Press
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