JEFFIE LAM JEFFIE.LAM@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Monday, 28 September, 2015, 6:00pm
UPDATED : Monday, 28 September, 2015, 7:58pm
Yellow umbrellas once again make an appearance en masse outside government headquarters in Admiralty today along with a sign that reads “I want true universal suffrage” as rally participants commemorate the Occupy movement for genuine universal suffrage. Photo: Felix Wong
A strong sense of déjà vu permeated the mood in Admiralty this afternoon as hundreds of democracy activists flocked to the once-occupied site near government headquarters to mark the first anniversary of the mass sit-ins that shocked the world.
Booths lined Tim Mei Avenue as activists gave out to other participants T-shirts, leaflets and the yellow ribbons that symbolised the Occupy movement, in scenes reminiscent of the 79-day occupation last year – minus its tumultuous start.
“I want to tell others why we have to insist on our drive,” said Kaa Cheung, a middle aged woman who was giving out yellow ribbons from her booth.
“It feels like seeing old friends. I do not know their names but I recognise many of them … [Seeing them] assures me that my goals and beliefs are right.”
READ MORE: Keep torch of democracy alive, Occupy leaders tell Hongkongers
Hong Kong democracy supporters keep to a barricaded area under the monitoring of the police. Photo: Dickson LeePeople Power member Tam Tak-chi said they might consider occupying Harcourt Road if 1,000 people supported the idea.
Police urged protesters to exercise restraint as officers opened both the northbound and southbound lanes of Tim Mei Avenue for the rally.
“It is completely unnecessary to occupy Harcourt Road to affect the traffic. I hope you can all stay rational,” a police officer said via a loudspeaker.
Dorothy Wong, spokeswoman of the rally organiser – a group calling itself the Anti-Political Persecution Campaign – reiterated that occupying a site was not part of their plans, though they could not stop anyone from doing so.
The rally was more about reflecting on the movement, she said, urging people to be responsible for their own actions.
Protesters including democracy activist Alex Chow Yong-kang (centre) display a picture of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. Photo: Sam Tsang
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1862097/yellow-ribbons-umbrellas-return-hong-kong-marks-first
