In 1996, retired High Court judge Simon Li Fook-sean ran against Tung Chee-hwa in the first chief executive race.
Yesterday, Mr Li was in the spotlight again when he led the blue-ribbon protest against the government's reclamation policies. Mr Li, 82, held up the front of the ribbon and led the chant: 'Say no to reclamation. Save our harbour.'
Although Mr Li left the rally early and had to be assisted from the stage, his message was unfaltering. 'We have done enough damage to the harbour. We have very quickly turned Hong Kong harbour into a river,' he said.
Mr Li, who was the first Chinese to become a vice-president of the Court of Appeal, said it was the first time he publicly supported a cause.
'This one is the last straw,' he said in reference to plans to reclaim 18 hectares of land off Central. 'There are so many options ... why must they choose to do it?'