Hong Kong police give go-ahead for rally marking fifth anniversary of start of Occupy movement
- Civil Human Rights Front confirms police issued letter of no objection for rally at Tamar Park from 7pm on Saturday
- Five years earlier, protesters began occupying major thoroughfares to call for universal suffrage – a blockade that remained in place for the next 79 days
Hong Kong police have given the green light to a rally to mark the fifth anniversary of the Occupy protests, despite previous bans of demonstrations planned by the same organiser.
The Civil Human Rights Front – the umbrella group of the pro-democracy camp which organised three record-breaking marches over the past four months – confirmed on Thursday police had issued a letter of no objection for the rally at Tamar Park from 7pm to 9pm on Saturday.
Five years ago to the day on Saturday, protesters first began occupying major thoroughfares of the city to call for universal suffrage – a blockade that remained in place for the next 79 days.
In the document approving the rally, police told the front to urge participants not to use “sharp objects” during the protest and cooperate with law enforcement.
“Judging from past experience, it is effective for the organiser to disseminate messages to participants,” police wrote.
The document also said the front must notify the police, should the attendance vary largely from the 1,000 mentioned in the application submitted by activist Jackie Hung Ling-yu.