Police in Hong Kong removed baricades erected by pro-democracy protesters but said protesters continue to remain in the streets.
(Reuters) — Hong Kong police on Monday (October 13) removed some barricades erected by pro-democracy protesters in the Chinese-controlled city, but said protesters could remain on the streets they have occupied for the past two weeks.
At the main protest site, near government offices in the downtown district of Admiralty, scores of student protesters faced off with police who were massing in the area, a Reuters witness said.
The removal of barricades and massing of police, some carrying small riot shields, were the first signs in two weeks that the government may be prepared to back threats by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying that the blockade of key parts of the Asian financial hub could not last indefinitely.
Protesters are demanding Leung’s resignation and they want China to allow Hong Kong people the right to vote for a leader of their choice in 2017 elections. China wants to select candidates for the poll.
The demonstrations escalated late last month after police used tear gas and batons against the protesters. Since then, police have been largely hands-off and their presence minimal.
On Monday morning, many protesters in Admiralty donned face masks and goggles in preparation for possible use of tear gas or pepper spray.
“Because yesterday (October 12), students want(ed) to negotiate with the government so that we will open Queensway, this road. But the government and the police are doing (that) now and they are going to remove all the obstacles,” said 23-year-old student protester Billy Chan.
After removing some barricades to relieve traffic chaos in the area, police told Reuters that the protesters could remain on the streets.
“The reason that they came here today is that they claim they need to ‘reclaim’ their resources. So they actually removed the metal barricades and they change(d) them into these temporary plastic ones instead originally made for construction sites,” said another student protester, 20-year-oldSunny Chan.
The Hong Kong and Beijing governments have called the protests illegal. The Hong Kong government last week called off talks with student leaders, causing the ranks of protesters to swell.
Beijing-backed Leung told a Hong Kong TV channel that the blockade – now entering its third week – could not continue indefinitely. His government would continue to try to talk with student leaders but did not rule out the use of “minimum force” to clear the area, he said.
Leung has warned there was “zero chance” that China’s leaders in Beijing would change their decision in August limiting democracy in Hong Kong.
Beijing has said that only candidates screened by a nomination committee will be able to contest a full city-wide vote to choose the next chief executive in 2017.
The former British colony was promised that its freedoms would be protected under a “one country/two systems” formula when Britain handed it back to China 17 years ago.
