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| Hong Kong sees protests both for and against leader Leung Chun-Ying | Hong Kong sees protests both for and against leader Leung Chun-Ying |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Some see a wolf. Some see a liar. Some see a true-to-form Communist Party official taking aim at Hong Kong's political autonomy. | Some see a wolf. Some see a liar. Some see a true-to-form Communist Party official taking aim at Hong Kong's political autonomy. |
| Others see the territory's highest official, Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying, as a potential antidote to some of its most pressing issues: a widening wealth gap, lagging economic growth, and property prices so high that whole families are crammed into apartments the size of walk-in closets. | Others see the territory's highest official, Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying, as a potential antidote to some of its most pressing issues: a widening wealth gap, lagging economic growth, and property prices so high that whole families are crammed into apartments the size of walk-in closets. |
| Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to Hong Kong's densely packed streets this week in demonstrations both for and against the territory's chief executive Leung, laying bare widespread distrust of the recently elected leader and deep-rooted divisions among the region's 7 million people. | |
| While anti-Leung demonstration organisers said 130,000 people attended the protests, police put the number at 27,000. Protesters filled public parks and blocked major intersections. Some clashed with police, leading to six arrests. Pro-Leung demonstrators were alleged to have been paid 250 Hong Kong dollars (£20) to attend. | |
| Protesters came with a wide array of demands, such as higher pensions, protection of gay rights, the cessation of controversial development plans on the region's suburban fringes. Some held up pictures depicting Leung as a wolf, a reference to his perceived ruthlessness; many demanded his resignation. | Protesters came with a wide array of demands, such as higher pensions, protection of gay rights, the cessation of controversial development plans on the region's suburban fringes. Some held up pictures depicting Leung as a wolf, a reference to his perceived ruthlessness; many demanded his resignation. |
| The former British colony has technically been administered by mainland China under a "one country, two systems" policy since 1997, but it still enjoys institutions that are non-existent on the mainland such as a free press. | The former British colony has technically been administered by mainland China under a "one country, two systems" policy since 1997, but it still enjoys institutions that are non-existent on the mainland such as a free press. |
| Leung's troubles began in the autumn when local media revealed he had built a set of illegal additions on his property – a trellis, a metal gate, a canopy over his garage – six months after he defeated his main political opponent, Henry Tang Ying-yen, partly by chastising him for digging an illegal cellar beneath his villa. | |
| Leung is also still reeling from a large-scale backlash against a Beijing-backed "national education" programme proposal, which would have added a pro-Communist Party course to the region's elementary school curriculums. Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents protested against the programme, calling it "brainwashing" – some staged a hunger strike. The proposal was ultimately shelved. | |
| "The feeling is that [Leung] discredited himself over the past six months or so because of mishandling of major crises," said Ray Yep, a professor at the City University of Hong Kong. | "The feeling is that [Leung] discredited himself over the past six months or so because of mishandling of major crises," said Ray Yep, a professor at the City University of Hong Kong. |
| Yep added that Leung's promises to ameliorate the region's sky-high property prices and growing income gap sets him apart from his predecessors. "We see the intention to do something, which is in a way better than the previous government, which wanted to let the market regulate itself in the long run," he said. "But so far we don't see any concrete action." | Yep added that Leung's promises to ameliorate the region's sky-high property prices and growing income gap sets him apart from his predecessors. "We see the intention to do something, which is in a way better than the previous government, which wanted to let the market regulate itself in the long run," he said. "But so far we don't see any concrete action." |
| Michael DeGolyer, a politics expert at Hong Kong Baptist University, described Leung as a beleaguered populist who has not yet cinched widespread support, but who has also not yet proven himself a public villain. | Michael DeGolyer, a politics expert at Hong Kong Baptist University, described Leung as a beleaguered populist who has not yet cinched widespread support, but who has also not yet proven himself a public villain. |
| "Every substantive element, such as support for the poor, greater education, small class instruction, environmental action, right across the board, he's basically taking the fire away from the opposition camp," he said. | "Every substantive element, such as support for the poor, greater education, small class instruction, environmental action, right across the board, he's basically taking the fire away from the opposition camp," he said. |
| DeGolyer added that Monday's demonstrations paled in comparison to a 500,000-person march in 2003 which unseated the region's first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa. He said that those protests were fuelled by widespread dissatisfaction with years of incompetent governance. Leung has only been in office for six months. | DeGolyer added that Monday's demonstrations paled in comparison to a 500,000-person march in 2003 which unseated the region's first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa. He said that those protests were fuelled by widespread dissatisfaction with years of incompetent governance. Leung has only been in office for six months. |
| Tuesday's turnout "wasn't nearly high enough to indicate that there was enough support for the Beijing government to even consider setting Leung aside early," he said. "Calls for him to step down were wholly symbolic." | Tuesday's turnout "wasn't nearly high enough to indicate that there was enough support for the Beijing government to even consider setting Leung aside early," he said. "Calls for him to step down were wholly symbolic." |
| On the mainland, many users of China's most popular microblog, Sina Weibo, sided with the anti-government camp, with many expressing a strong desire for political freedoms beyond their reach. "Mainlanders should humbly learn from Hong Kong's non-violent protests and freedom of speech," wrote one user in a widely circulated post. | |
| Others decried pictures of protesters proudly brandishing the British colonial flag. While some Hong Kong residents equate the flag with nostalgia for a relatively liberal last few years of British rule, many mainlanders perceive it a symbol of national humiliation. Microblogs quickly filled with invective against "Hong Kong traitors". Censors have since deleted most of the images. | Others decried pictures of protesters proudly brandishing the British colonial flag. While some Hong Kong residents equate the flag with nostalgia for a relatively liberal last few years of British rule, many mainlanders perceive it a symbol of national humiliation. Microblogs quickly filled with invective against "Hong Kong traitors". Censors have since deleted most of the images. |
| • Additional research by Chuan Xu |