Peaceful march was change of strategy for Hong Kong protesters, giving government less room to act against them
- Outlawed demonstration draws a massive turnout, but goes off without incident – contrasting with chaotic violence at airport earlier in week
- Move represents a change of tack for protesters, although some say radical action should not be abandoned entirely
Hong Kong protesters avoided violence in Sunday’s massive anti-government march, a change of strategy that gave the authorities less room to act against them, observers said.
Political scientists and some protesters said the peaceful march was also the result of reflection over their conduct at Hong Kong International Airport last week, which drew a strong backlash.
Last Tuesday, protesters were criticised for assaulting two mainland Chinese men they believed were undercover agents.
The incidents happened on the fifth day of a mass sit-in at the airport, which resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights and inconvenience to thousands of travellers.
On Wednesday, the protesters admitted they had overreacted by attacking the men and apologised for the disruption at the airport.