"Those who protested peacefully are not thugs. But the three organisers of Occupy Central, the student leaders and the radicals who stormed [the Legislative Council last month] and charged the police's cordon are … and the pan-democrats are their accomplices," Lee said.

Lee made a name for herself in 2012, as she led the Parents' Association in supporting the government's plan to launch national education in secondary schools. After the plan was shelved due to heated public criticism, Lee turned her attention to opposing the Occupy Central campaign, which was founded in March last year. In August last year, Lee also co-organised a controversial campaign "against obscenity" after an outspoken teacher was filmed shouting foul language at police officers over their handling of a civic dispute.

Her fiery approach raised questions about her motivation, but in an interview with the , Lee denied she was paid or instructed to undertake those campaigns by anyone in the local or central governments.

"To say that we do this for money is an insult to all Hong Kong citizens … [because] my actions are simply the consequences of what those thugs have done to our city. If they take their action to the next level, so will I," she said.

Lee, who runs an advertising and production partnership, said the pro-government campaigns cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and all the money came from her pocket or from supporters with no official or political party affiliation.

Since 2012, Lee's group and other pro-Beijing bodies such as Caring Hong Kong Power and the Alliance for Peace and Democracy, have been criticised for worsening the political divide.

But Lee rejected that suggestion, saying "Lee See-yin is incapable of dividing society. What divides Hong Kong is actually Next Media, the pan-democrats and the radicals.

In fact, she said, "I think Hong Kong is becoming more united. My group represents the silent majority and the middle class, who just want Hong Kong to be stable and progressive."

Civic Party lawmaker Kenneth Chan Ka-lok also said it was "irresponsible" for Lee to blame his camp for dividing Hong Kong. He said all political organisations, including those supportive of the government, have "the responsibility to [help resolve] the government's difficulties and crisis … not turning a blind eye to it or bullying others."

Contrary to Lee's accusations, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, who yesterday stepped down as Next Media chairman, has urged protesters to consider retreating since November. Lai resigned as the publisher of the Next Media publication after he was arrested when the police ended the Admiralty sit-in on Thursday. He could not be reached for comment yesterday.

But while she loudly defends the government, Lee emphasised that she was not "blindly supportive" of it and the police.

"Had [the Occupy protesters] cleared out peacefully but the police used violence on them, I would have been the first to condemn the police," she said.

Last month, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said a government task force had been set up to help young Hongkongers get ahead in life, as a lack of upward mobility was one of the reasons young people joined the Occupy protests.

"He should have been doing that all along," Lee said.

Occupy Central co-founder Dr Chan Kin-man said Lee was looking at Hong Kong's problems "too superficially".

Chan, a Chinese University sociologist, said the city's social division originated from the debate about universal suffrage and the city's unequal politics.

"If the national legislature had ruled on August 31 that Hong Kong would have a truly competitive popular election" for the chief executive in 2017, "the majority of Hongkongers would have supported it", Chan said.

"So people like Lee should have the wisdom to know that the [core] of the problem is that we have a political system that lags behind our social progress."

Chan was referring to the National People's Congress decision that while Hongkongers could vote for the chief executive in 2017, only two or three candidates who gained the support of a 1,200-strong nominating committee could run, thereby allowing Beijing to vet candidates.

That announcement triggered the Occupy Central protests in late September, with protesters camping in Mong Kok, Admiralty and Causeway Bay.

Lee, a single parent with a 20-year-old son, said that while she was focused on education in the past, Occupy Central prompted her political interest.

"I was escaping from politics in the past … but later I realised that education is interconnected with politics and people's livelihoods," she said.

Lee has called Occupy's co-founders, as well as Lai and others, "shameless, rubbish, sinners" and even "betrayers of God". She has also faced "malicious" attacks from detractors.

"Not only have we seen the offensive edited pictures of me on the internet, I have been accused of being a prostitute. My family and I have endured a great deal of pressure, but they understand that I will never surrender to injustice and I will always speak up for the community," she said.

Leticia Lee

Chairwoman, David Li Kwok Po College Parent-Teacher Association

President, Federation of Parent-Teacher Associations of Yau Tsim Mong District

Founding president, Parents' Association of Hong Kong

Led campaign backing controversial national education curriculum

Co-organised campaign "against obscenity"

Founded the Justice Alliance, an anti-Occupy Central group

Launched "blue ribbon" movement supporting police