Father threatens to jump from bridge in protest at Occupy Central sit-in
Man persuaded to climb down from bridge after protesting that his children can't get to school
A father-of-three threatened yesterday to jump from a bridge over Harcourt Road, Admiralty - not for democracy, but because his children were unable to go to school last week.
The man, who appeared to be in his 30s, provoked laughs from the otherwise peaceful crowd during the near five-hour stand-off at the stronghold of the civil disobedience movement.
He struggled to turn on a loudspeaker that he had just removed from its packaging, and had to read the instruction manual while sitting on the edge of the bridge linking the Admiralty Centre with Citic Tower.
A police negotiator handed him another loudspeaker.
Asked if he was paid to create what many at the scene saw as a clown show, the man, who gave only his surname, Yip, said: "I am only a father of three.
"I am neither for or against [Occupy]. All I want is for my children to go to school and learn what true democracy is."
The commotion triggered the deployment of firefighters at the bridge. Two air mattresses were placed underneath, while six Fire Services Department vehicles, including two fire engines, were on standby.