Hong Kong police are scheduled to clear the last occupation site of the pro-democracy protests today, ending more than two months of road blockades in the territory that have disrupted traffic and sparked violent clashes between police and demonstrators.
Police plan to “exercise powers conferred by the law to remove the obstacles” in the popular shopping area of Causeway Bay, Police Chief Superintendent Steve Hui (許鎮德) said in a news conference yesterday. Police are scheduled to give a media briefing at about 9:30am today before proceeding, Hui said.
“I now urge the illegal road occupiers to remove the obstacles, take their personal belongings and leave the occupied area in a peaceful and orderly manner,” Hui said. “If the illegal road occupiers refuse to leave, police will take action to disperse them and may arrest those who attempt to obstruct officers in the execution of duty.”
The street protests began on Sept. 26 when student leaders stormed the premises of the government headquarters, and on Sept. 28 the protests involved as many as 100,000 people after police used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the demonstrators.
It became the biggest challenge to China’s rule over Hong Kong since it resumed sovereignty over the former British colony in 1997.
Demonstrators demanded that China reverse its decision to vet chief executive candidates in the 2017 elections through a nominating committee, a mechanism that the pro-democracy camps said would only select prospective leaders favored by Beijing.
The protest site in Causeway Bay has been the smallest since demonstrators started occupying key roads in the territory in late September.
Police removed the roadblocks in the main Admiralty district protest site near government offices with little interference on Thursday, after clearance of another site in Mong Kok resulted in some clashes in last month.
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