Thousands attend Hong Kong rally to kick off university class boycott
- Sit-in at Chinese University draws an estimated 30,000 at start of two-week strike
- School pupils at separate event in Central demand the government listen to protesters’ demands
Thousands of students held a rally on Monday to kick off a two-week class boycott at 11 tertiary institutions across Hong Kong, warning of more radical action if the government ignores their demands related to the now-abandoned extradition bill.
That came hours after more than 1,000 secondary school pupils, many skipping classes, attended a separate rally to send a defiant message that months of civil unrest would not recede with the start of the new term.
At the older students’ protest, held at Chinese University (CUHK), a sea of black-clad people flooded the University Mall, a large open space on the Sha Tin campus. Many wore face masks and hard hats.
Student representatives read out a joint statement, calling on Hongkongers to continue pushing for protesters’ five demands to be met. The demands include the extradition bill’s formal withdrawal and an inquiry into the police’s handling of the protests, which have roiled the city since June 9.
Be it bullets, be it white terror, be it the totalitarian regime, whatever obstacles stand in our way shall never be enough to break our determination
“Be it bullets, be it white terror, be it the totalitarian regime, whatever obstacles stand in our way shall never be enough to break our determination,” the statement read.
Throughout the rally, the crowd chanted: “Liberate Hong Kong; Revolution of our time.”