On Second Thought: Government ignores protest movement at its peril

In his election campaign, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying bandied about his election motto of "change in stability".

At the time, he could hardly have imagined this proposition would be severely tested in a crisis so soon.

That crisis is the prolonged protest against the national education scheme, fuelled by anger over a perceived attempt to brainwash school pupils.

Throughout a long hot August, while officials were mulling over the issue, confrontation festered.

The ghost of June 4, 1989, loomed before us. From a massive protest march in July to the September siege of Tamar - now dubbed People's Plaza - protesters demanded national education be scrapped. They made thunderous speeches, played loud music and shouted slogans in unison.

Senior officials held press conferences to explain their position, blinking away tears. They had just appointed a committee to gather views on all aspects of the scheme. The chief executive visited the hunger strikers. He extended his hand and an olive branch, calling the protesters "friends".

On the eve of the Legislative Council election, he announced major concessions. Short of total withdrawal, he allowed schools to decide for themselves how and when to introduce the subject, if at all. He could not have been more conciliatory.