Thousands of marathon runners sport blue ribbons in support of press freedom

Press-freedom advocates gave thousands of blue ribbons to runners taking part in yesterday's Standard Chartered Marathon to raise awareness of "deteriorating" conditions for the media.

At least 6,600 silk bands were handed out, the Hong Kong Journalists Association said, in the first stage of its "Gag Us Not" campaign. The ribbons went in 2½ hours, association chairman Sham Yee-lan said, adding that the campaign was the "first punch" in a fight against "suppression of dissenting voices".

"We had to disappoint many runners … The overwhelming response tells of a growing public concern about … press freedom," Sham said.

The campaign was launched after a week that saw Commercial Radio host Li Wei-ling, a vocal critic of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, sacked. Her abrupt dismissal came on the day the city slid from 58th last year to 61st out of 180 countries and territories in a Reporters Without Borders media-freedom index - a fall the association called "worrying".

The association said in a statement: "We'll show the authoritarians that we will blow up when asked to remain silent."

Many of the 65,000 runners yesterday expressed support for the cause.

Leung Fat-ling was among those pinning a ribbon on his top as he prepared to run in the 10-kilometre race. He said press freedom in Hong Kong was "stooping to levels comparable to those of the mainland".