As protesters in Hong Kong continue to voice their opposition to China’s proposed plan to vet Hong Kong leadership candidates, gatherings of support have surfaced in major cities around the globe including Calgary.
On Wednesday evening, a rally was held at Olympic Plaza to support democracy in the autonomous region of the Asian nation. Participants pinned yellow ribbons to their clothing and carried umbrellas, adopted symbols of hope for change in Hong Kong. The event in Calgary was one of 65 rallies planned worldwide.
Jesse Tong, a former resident of Hong Kong, lives in Calgary where he attends university. Tong says he remains hopeful, but not optimistic, that the Chinese government will give into the demands of demonstrators.
“It's kind of demoralizing, because so many people are on the streets, so many people are fighting for what they believe is right and what I think is right,” said Tong. “At the same time, it might not go anywhere. I mean you've always seen things like this happen in other cities in China, and basically the government just waits for the protests to fizzle out and then everything goes back to normal.”
Demonstrators in Hong Kong have vowed to occupy government buildings if the city’s Chief Executive does not resign.
