Sit-in participants endure arrests, little sleep for their cause

As Central steeled itself for another morning rush hour, dozens of people at a peaceful overnight sit-in on Chater Road were ready to get out of the way of office workers.

They cheered in triumph for achieving their goal of occupying the street from midnight to 8am, with bystanders applauding their efforts from outside the police cordoned-off area.

Police officers had been trying since 1.30am to arrest and remove participants of the protest held by the Hong Kong Federation of Students. They refused to let the remaining protesters leave on their own after the 8am mark and instead escorted them to nearby police buses.

Sharing the sentiments of many, social worker Pearl Chan, 40, said she was galvanised into action by a white paper declaring Beijing's comprehensive jurisdiction over Hong Kong and pro-establishment lawmaker Ng Leung-sing's alleged breach of the Legislative Council's rules of procedure to pass funding for the government's development of the New Territories

The city had reached a critical point, Chan said yesterday. "Today, I sacrifice my own time at night, and I think it is worth it even though I have to go to work in the morning," she said. "Every year, hundreds of thousands march on July 1, but the government seems to have heard none of our demands."

Just before midnight on Tuesday, police officers had queued up near Exchange Square for a cup of herbal tea that, according to Chinese medicine, could "clear heat from the body", while waiting to move into action. The Hong Kong Federation of Students had not sought police approval for its rally, and at 1.30 in the morning loudspeakers began blasting out messages to leave the area.

The noise was equalled by choruses of boos and wails as officers went about clearing the site. It was hard work - protesters went limp, each taking up to five officers to be carried away. Some police officers' uniforms were soaked as beads of sweat dripped off their chins.