Hundreds turn out for rally in support of Hong Kong Indigenous candidate for Legco elections
The localist group Beijing apparently referred to as the “radical separatist organisation” behind the Lunar New Year riot in Mong Kok staged a well-attended outdoor rally last night in Sha Tin.
The event, which attracted hundreds of people, was organised by Hong Kong Indigenous to pledge support for Edward Leung Tin-kei, its candidate in the Legislative Council New Territories East by-election next Sunday.
“Take back our future and our Hong Kong,” Leung, who has been charged with rioting over the Mong Kok violence, told the crowd outside New Town Plaza.
During the rally, on which the group said police had imposed a crowd limit of 100, Leung called his electioneering “a revolution of the time”.
“We have no connection to the vested interest in the old system,” he added, referring to the traditional pan-democrats from whom he distanced his group, despite their anti-mainland stance.
The crowd booed and sometimes swore when whenever a lawmaker’s name was mentioned on stage. The only legislator present was radical Wong Yuk-man, who supports Leung.
READ MORE: Meet the seven candidates in the upcoming Legco by-election
Lingnan University scholar Horace Chin Wan-kan whose book advocated independence for Hong Kong, also backed Leung, saying: “Edward is an honest young man [and] fought bravely the tyranny of [Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying].”
Leung’s rise in popularity is seen as a direct threat to Civic Party’s Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu. Yeung, who will host his own rallies today.
Hong Kong Indigenous members were seen taking the lead in the confrontation on the first day of Lunar New Year which escalated into a riot.
The Foreign Ministry, without specifying which or how many groups were involved, said the riot was “plotted mainly by local radical separatist organisation”.
Liaison office chief Zhang Xiaoming (張曉明) called those who took part in the riot “thugs” who were “leaning towards terrorism”.
Leung and Yeung are contending the upcoming race with social worker Nelson Wong Shing-chi, independent Lau Chi-sing, vice-chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong Holden Chow Ho-ding, independent candidate Albert Leung Sze-ho and Sai Kung district councillor Christine Fong Kwok-shan.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Civic Party legislator Ronny Tong Ka-wah last year.
