Scuffles amid Hong Kong protests
October 3, 2014
The melees started after supporters of Chinese rule stormed a Hong Kong shopping district on Friday in a bid to pull down tents set up by pro-democracy demonstrators who have been out on the streets of the former British colony for the past week.
Police quickly moved in to separate the two sides. Apart from Friday's scuffles, the protests have been mainly peaceful since police used pepper spray and tear gas on demonstrators last weekend.
Friday's clashes came just hours after a deadline set out by the protesters for Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying had passed, with the Hong Kong leader continuing to reject their demands that he resign.
Leung offers dialogue
The protest leaders had threatened to storm government buildings if he did not comply with their demands by the end of Thursday, but minutes before the deadline, Leung held a televised press conference in which he offered to open talks with the demonstrators.
Leung was joined at the news conference by Hong Kong's top civil servant, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, whom he tasked with arranging the talks.
"I hope both sides will be satisfied," Lam told reporters.
A leader of the Occupy Central group, one of the key organizers behind the protests, welcomed the offer, but said this would not change the movement's demand that Leung step down.
"This could be an opportunity to solve the plight we are facing," Benny Tai said.
A statement released by the Hong Kong Federation of Students said that it too welcomed the offer, but that Leung needed to resign as he had "lost his integrity."
No concessions from Beijing
The ruling Communist Party in Beijing meanwhile, reiterated its support for Hong Kong's embattled leader as well as a decision to reserve the right to approve a small number of candidates to appear on a ballot to elect the former British colony's next chief executive in 2017.
"There is no room to make concessions on important principles," a front page editorial in this Friday's edition of the party's official People's Daily said.
The protests were sparked by the legislation imposing those restictions, which was passed by China's National People's Congress back in August.
pfd/ipj (Reuters, AP, AFP)