Four members of a student group that helped lead two-month long pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong last year have turned themselves in to police. Joshua Wong of Scholarism told reporters the group had been summoned but not told what the charges against them were. The protesters were demanding a direct vote for Hong Kongs next leader. The four students have said if arrested they will refuse bail. The pro-democracy demonstrators, who were a mixture of activists, students and members of the public, blocked off major roads and brought parts of the the city to a standstill when the protests began in late September. However the Chinese and Hong Kong governments gave no concessions on their stance that while Hong Kong can choose its own leader for the first time in 2017, China will vet who can stand for the top job. Protesters say this is not true democracy. As the demonstrations evolved numbers dwindled until it was mostly a few hundred students who remained at protest sites. In December, the three main protest camps around Hong Kong were dismantled by police. Joshua Wong and others were accused by authorities of obstructing the police clearance.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 06:54:58 +0000