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Winston Chu says he won't waste time appealing if he loses an injunction against the Central reclamation today

The harbour protection activist leading the battle against the Central reclamation says he won't bother to appeal if he loses a ruling today on whether the government should immediately halt the project - he'll take the fight to the streets.

Winston Chu Ka-sun, chairman of the Society for the Protection of the Harbour, said an appeal would take too much time and the harbour would be filled in by the time another decision was made.

Instead, he would consider trying to force the government to drop the project - involving the proposed reclamation of 23 hectares of Victoria Harbour - by encouraging protesters on to the street.

'I will put the matter to the people of Hong Kong,' he said. 'If they want to march, I will march with them ... I've been doing this [legal battle] for eight years. I'm prepared to fight for another eight years.'

The Court of First Instance is expected to pass judgment today on whether an interim injunction should be imposed on the controversial government project to reclaim land for the Central-Wan Chai bypass road project.

Mr Chu's society sought the injunction in light of an August court victory, in which it was ruled that the Town Planning Board did not properly interpret the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance in its approval of reclamation works. The society argues that that decision should therefore affect all reclamation works, including the Central project.

An appeal by the government will be heard on December 9. In the meantime, Mr Chu's organisation is seeking an immediate halt to the Central reclamation via the injunction application. The government has temporarily stopped dumping tonnes of sand and rock into the harbour until today's expected decision.

Mr Chu's latest comments came after more than 3,000 supporters joined him at a protest at Queen's Pier in Central yesterday morning. The protesters, many of whom wore blue ribbons to express their support, sang the campaign's protest song, Affection to our Harbour.

Some carried signs condemning Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands Michael Suen Ming-yeung, the government's front man in advocating the Central reclamation project. At the end of the protest, they tied their ribbons on the railing of the pier.

Mr Chu and legislators Albert Ho Chun-yan and Audrey Eu Yuet-mee were among the speakers at the protest. 'He never gives up,' Ms Eu said of Mr Chu. 'If you don't agree with him, then you're in trouble ... I think this time, Suen Ming-yeung is in trouble.'

Mr Suen has said the suspension of the reclamation project was costing about $1 million per day in compensation to contractors.

The project is the third phase of the Central reclamation, which began in the 1990s. It aims to build more roads to ease traffic congestion between Wan Chai and Central. The Environment, Transport and Works Bureau also claims that travel time from Kennedy Town to Central would increase to 20 minutes from three minutes if the bypass is not completed by 2011.

The Society for the Protection of the Harbour has raised $1.32 million from the public in the past two weeks to pay its court costs.

Mr Chu, a retired lawyer, is matching the donation dollar for dollar.

Anti-reclamation activists have planned a celebration on November 9 if they secure the injunction, with activities on both sides of the harbour.

Mr Chu said it was hoped to make this an annual event at which the government was welcome to participate.



Harbour activist vows street fight