Occupy Central leader drops 'grand banquet' hint that protest will start October 1

The likelihood that Occupy Central will be launched on National Day, October 1, grew firmer yesterday when a co-founder of the movement spoke of "a grand banquet" in Central while others were marking "the big day".

Another Occupy Central founder has applied to police for a public meeting at Chater Road pedestrian precinct on the public holidays of October 1 and 2.

"While others are celebrating the big day of the country, we will set up a grand banquet in Central to fight for Hong Kong's democracy," Benny Tai Yiu-ting wrote in Apple Daily yesterday.

"Banquet" is the code name for the mass sit-in with which the movement hopes to press Beijing to offer full democracy to Hong Kong, amid dismay over a restrictive framework for the city's first "universal suffrage" election for chief executive in 2017.

Occupy later posted a checklist on its Facebook page urging supporters to bring protective gear such as goggles, as well as provisions for two or three days.

"We welcome all pro-democracy supporters who are willing to devote themselves to this cause to join," Tai wrote, adding that people who wanted only to observe were also welcome.