About 3,000 tenants of shopping malls and fresh markets, including 200 doctors, yesterday joined a fight against a rent rise at premises managed by The Link Management, with many switching off lights and some suspending business for a few hours.
The Public Housing Estate Shop-Operators' Union, one of the organisers of the campaign, said more than 30 public housing estates in Kowloon and the New Territories were involved in the protest.
In the shopping centres and fresh markets, many shops switched off their lights and continued their business under dim light.
Some others left their doors closed with only notices posted on them, from noon until about 3pm.
Chan Wing-shing, chairman of the union, said: 'This is just the beginning of our action. We will not stop our fights until The Link agrees to concede on rent level.' He said the union was planning to hold a signature-collection campaign and to call for tenants to postpone paying rents and management fees to The Link. They were also considering a full-day strike and even a hunger strike.
Members of the shop operators' union and the Doctors Union joined others outside Lok Fu Shopping Centre in Kowloon, lashing out at The Link's rental policy and claiming malpractices.
