Hong Kong Pushes Back Crisis Talks With Democracy Protesters
Hong Kong pro-democracy protest leaders called on supporters to flood the citys streets today after the government called off talks aimed at ending the two-week standoff.
Demonstrators should gather at 7:30 p.m. near the governments main office building in Admiralty, Scholarism, one of the student groups leading the demonstrations, said on its Facebook page.
Carrie Lam, the citys No. 2 official, and student leaders yesterday blamed each other for the collapse in talks, with demonstrators threatening more action and the government warning it may clear the streets. Todays planned negotiations had offered the best hope of ending the rallies, which have left miles of key roadways shut, even with the numbers of protesters dwindling to hundreds from tens of thousands.
I hope that there will be a way for the protesters to see how they can help us restore our daily life, Ron Arculli, the former head of Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd., the worlds second-largest bourse operator by market value, said in an interview today. The inconvenience that people suffer in terms of going to and from work and maybe even shorter working hours is just incalculable.
The blockades by students seeking elections free from controls by the Chinese Communist Party have forced the former British colony into its worst political crisis since China regained sovereignty in 1997.
Hong Kong Federation of Students secretary general Alex Chow speaks during a news conference outside the Central Government Offices in Hong Kong, China, on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014. Close
Hong Kong Federation of Students secretary general Alex Chow speaks during a news... Read More
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Hong Kong Federation of Students secretary general Alex Chow speaks during a news conference outside the Central Government Offices in Hong Kong, China, on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014.
The benchmark Hang Seng Index (HSI) fell 1.6 percent at 11:43 a.m., more than erasing yesterdays 1.2 percent advance, which came before Lam called off the talks. The index had its biggest two-day fall since February last week after the police used tear gas on unarmed student demonstrators, spurring thousands to rally in anger.
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Hong Kong Pushes Back Crisis Talks With Democracy Protesters