Protest conflict a concern for many
Poll finds nearly 60pc fear tension will escalate; one-third worry about riots
Three out of five Hongkongers fear the city may see more clashes between pro- and anti-government groups in the future, while about one-third fear rallies will descend into large-scale riots, a poll has found.
And they disapprove of radical behaviour from both sides of politics, according to a survey by Chinese University's Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies.
Researchers interviewed 893 people from August 19 to 21, a day after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's second meet-the-people session, in Kwun Tong, where minor scuffles broke out.
About 57 per cent said they were worried about the growing number of physical clashes between pro- and anti-government groups, while 58.5 per cent believed the tension could escalate in the next three years. Only 8.9 per cent felt the tension would ease.
While 33.6 per cent feared there was a possibility of large-scale riots should the confrontations continue, 37.6 per cent held the opposite view.
The majority of those surveyed disapproved of any form of radical behaviour. About 59 per cent did not approve of action by anti-government groups, while 61 per cent found the action of government supporters unacceptable.