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Hong Kong crowds rally for democracy
BBC ^ | July 1 2014 | BBC

Posted on 07/01/2014 10:33:43 AM PDT by PoloSec

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in what organisers say could be Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy rally in more than a decade.

The annual rally, marking the day Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, was to demand full electoral freedom.

It came after an unofficial referendum on how to choose Hong Kong's next chief executive drew close to 800,000 votes.

China says it will introduce universal suffrage for the 2017 election - but wants the final say over who can run.

The Hong Kong government said the 10-day referendum had no legal standing. Jump media player Media player help Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Organisers were hoping more than half a million people would attend, as Juliana Liu reports

Organisers expected more than half a million people to join Monday's rally from Victoria Park to the city's Central district. Roads around the park were closed off and footage showed key roads jammed with marchers.

Several campaign groups indicated that they would stage peaceful overnight vigils after the march.

Reports said protesters were still in the park as the first marchers arrived in Central four hours later, giving an idea of the scale of the rally.

By early evening police estimated that some 92,000 people had set off from Victoria Park, reported the South China Morning Post (subscription). Organisers counted more than three times that number. Reports said other marchers joined the rally en route to Central.

Security was tight, with around 4,000 police officers on patrol.

A rally in 2003 drew half a million people, who demonstrated against proposed anti-subversion laws which were later scrapped.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
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1 posted on 07/01/2014 10:33:43 AM PDT by PoloSec
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To: PoloSec

Guess these folks didn’t get the memo on “Communism and You”.


2 posted on 07/01/2014 10:38:18 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: PoloSec

They want a democracy they will get one...

China will just move in enough people to vote for communism....

That is why Democracy is never a stable form of government it is a failure mode of government....


3 posted on 07/01/2014 10:40:03 AM PDT by GraceG (No, My Initials are not A.B.)
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To: PoloSec

Why am I getting a “Tiananmen Square” vibe?


4 posted on 07/01/2014 10:40:43 AM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: PoloSec

Hey you guys in Hong Kong. Sorry to tell you this but Jimmuh Cahtuh sold you out to the Chi-Coms in 1997.


5 posted on 07/01/2014 10:44:47 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: Sacajaweau

They must have experienced the principles laid out in the Communist Manifesto firsthand and didn’t like them


6 posted on 07/01/2014 10:53:24 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Army Air Corps

Unlike June 1989, they won’t be able to write it out of history.


7 posted on 07/01/2014 10:54:15 AM PDT by setha (It is past time for the United States to take back what the world took away.)
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To: PoloSec
China says it will introduce universal suffrage for the 2017 election - but wants the final say over who can run.

This is Red Chinese Democracy -- everyone gets to vote. Its just that there is only one candidate to vote for.

8 posted on 07/01/2014 10:59:46 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: Opinionated Blowhard; PoloSec

Chinese elites can afford to have their election manipulation out in the open as their iron-fisted rule is accepted enough by their sheeple for it to work.

In the West, our elites need to do their election manipulation behind-the-scenes, since our sheeple get all up in arms if they don’t have what appears to them to be an actual choice.

Thus our sheeple demand to be tricked into electing the elites’ minions, whereas Chinese sheeple have been forced into knowingly the elites’ minions.


9 posted on 07/01/2014 11:16:08 AM PDT by PieterCasparzen (We have to fix things ourselves)
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To: PoloSec

Tough luck. You’ve been sold out to commies.


10 posted on 07/01/2014 11:22:49 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (The GOP-e scum enlisted Democrats to steal the Republican primary. The GOP-e can go to Hell.)
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To: PoloSec

UGH!..... Democrcy is Mob Rule by mobsters...


11 posted on 07/01/2014 11:22:49 AM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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