Hong Kong democracy protests

Huge crowds of protesters marched through the streets of Hong Kong on Tuesday, rallying in support of greater democracy on the 17th anniversary of the United Kingdom's returning the city to Chinese rule.

Some protesters waved colonial-era flags and chanted anti-Beijing slogans. Police estimated that 92,000 people turned out for the rally when it started in the morning.

Johnson Yeung, one of the rally's organizers, said that the demonstration had swelled to 300,000 people by 7:45 p.m. (1145 UTC) local time. Some of the rally's organizers expect the turnout to exceed 500,000 people, which would beat the record set during July 1 protests in 2003.

The demonstrators were marching from Hong Kong's Victoria Park to the city's central business district, some championing banners with slogans such as "We want real democracy" and "We stand united against China."

"There is a strong desire for genuine democracy that offers choice and competition without vetting," said Anson Chan, formerly Hong Kong's second-highest official and now a pro-democracy activist.

'One country, two systems'

Tensions have escalated recently between Hong Kong and mainland China over a policy paper issued by Beijing last month. In the paper, Communist Party officials said that Hong Kong's autonomy was not an inherent right, but instead was authorized by the central government.

The first of July is a public holiday in Hong Kong, marking the transfer of the city from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Under a policy called "one country, two systems," Hong Kong was allowed to retain the liberties and autonomy it enjoyed under British rule.

Beijing has promised to allow Hong Kong to directly elect its chief executive by 2017. However, the candidates would come from a list vetted by the central government.

Many residents of Hong Kong oppose such an arrangement. The protest group Occupy Central organized an unofficial referendum conducted over 10 days, asking residents to choose between three methods of electing their city leader.

Nearly 800,000 people voted in the referendum, about 22 percent of the city's 3.5 million voters. Nearly 88 percent of those who participated voted in favor of a provision calling on Hong Kong's leaders to veto any electoral plan that "cannot meet international standards."

Under all three electoral plans presented in the referendum, candidates for city leader would be chosen by the electorate. Beijing rejected the referendum as "a plot by a 'so-called civil disobedience movement'."

Currently, half of Hong Kong's legislators are directly elected by the people. The rest are chosen by various professional, trade and business associations.

slk/mkg (AP, AFP)