IN stark contrast to the thousands of campaign staff seeking votes from the public, a pressure group tried to dissuade voters from backing three candidates.
The United Ants said the trio - independent Peggy Lam Pei Yu-dja, Liberal Party legislator Steven Poon Kwok-lim and Meeting Point legislator Zachary Wong Wai-yin - did not deserve support because they were against direct elections.
The three either abstained, opposed or were absent from the vote on legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing's bill on June 29 to introduce 60 directly elected seats to the Legislative Council.
About 10 members of the group held banners outside the polling stations of the three candidates, calling on voters not to support them.
They also distributed leaflets, which detailed their 'crime', and shouted at electors to use their ballot to boycott the trio.
'The three were responsible for stripping the public's right to elect all Legco members next year. They now brazenly beg our votes. It is simply ridiculous,' the leaflets said.
To counteract the United Ants, Mrs Lam's campaign team prepared leaflets to explain her position. They said Mrs Lam had actually helped the cause by being absent for the vote instead of voting against the bill.