Story highlights
HKU survey shows 83% say protesters should stop occupying roads in Hong Kong
Occupy Central leader Chan Kin-man says occupation is "controversial," may need to end
6 were arrested yesterday after protesters tried breaking into a government building
The originators of the Occupy Central movement suggest protesters should retreat, as a new poll shows support for the movement flagging.
In a random survey of 513 people conducted by the University of Hong Kong, 83% said pro-democracy protesters should cease their eight-week occupation of major roads in Hong Kong, while just 13% said the occupiers should continue.
“Given the backlash from the community, we have advised students to think of other forms of protest, instead of just focusing on occupations,” Occupy Central co-founder Chan Kin-man told CNN.
“The occupation is controversial; it creates disturbance – this is something we have to admit. We have to move to a new stage.”
Two-month blockade
The protest has now blocked major roads around Hong Kong nearly two months in an attempt to pressure officials into giving Hong Kong open elections for its next leader. But neither the Beijing or Hong Kong governments have shown any willingness to compromise, and some protesters have grown agitated.
Yesterday, the movement took an unusually aggressive turn when masked protesters rammed barricades and hurled concrete slabs to smash through a glass door to Hong Kong’s Legislative Council building – where the city’s government meets.
Protesters also charged police lines, leading police to respond with pepper spray and batons. Six were arrested, and the Hong Kong government released a statement denouncing the protesters as “violent radicals.”
Pro-democracy legislator Fernando Cheung, who tried unsuccessfully to stop the smashing, told CNN it was a “major setback” for the movement that has won widespread praise for its politeness and civility.
“I understand they wanted to scale up the action, but they didn’t understand that that would only destroy the campaign.”
Student leader Alex Chow urged students to continue protesting nonviolently. “If we do not choose to give up, then there is still hope and we can choose to utilize different tactics, to explore ways to counter the government,” he said.
Uncertain future
Hong Kong’s High Court has issued a series of injunctions authorizing police to begin clearing protest sites. A small section of the main protest site was cleared Tuesday, and larger clearances are planned in the coming days.
In the face of the impending action, protesters disagree over what should be done next.
Chan and other protest leaders have proposed a “community education” campaign, in which democracy supporters would enter Hong Kong neighborhoods to sway locals to their cause.
Another potential strategy is for the city’s pro-democracy legislators to resign en masse. This would trigger a by-election, giving Hong Kongers a chance to demonstrate their support for the democracy movement by voting the legislators back in.
Other hardline demonstrators advocate an escalation of the physical occupations – though protest leaders discourage this.
Despite the uncertainty, the movement has already exceeded all expectations, said Chan.
“Our original plan was people would just sit down, holding hands, and peacefully let police arrest us,” he said.
“We expected our Occupy Central movement would only last for a few days, not weeks or months.”