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Victor Ting

Alvin Lum

Political journalist covering in Hong Kong politics, justice system and policy analysis.


Chris Lau

Anti-government protesters on Saturday vowed to take their battle to the ballots in three weeks when they would cast their votes in the district council elections.
Pro-democracy candidates who showed up in the protests on Saturday said they would not even be worried if the government postponed the elections, but warned that any delay could cause more chaos.
The polls are expected to be held on November 24.
About 100 election candidates held “hustings” at Victoria Park on Saturday, after police rejected an application for an anti-government demonstration at the site.




The candidates claimed that their rallies would remain lawful as long as there were no more than 50 people at each session.

But soon after the event began in the afternoon, riot police dispersed crowds from the park and arrested candidates Osman Cheng Chung-hang, Richard Chan Chun-chit and Man Nim-chi. During the operation, officers pepper-sprayed Chan to subdue him, prompting angry calls from rally-goers for his release.
Police fire tear gas and protesters hurl petrol bombs in another weekend of unrest
At the park and in another rally in Central, most demonstrators the Post talked to said they would translate their street protests into votes in the district council elections to show their opinion against the government.
Hugo, a fresh graduate in his 20s, said the district council elections mattered a lot despite being on the lowest rung of the electoral ladder. “It is important that I reflect my voice. This election is the easiest option to do that, and it can be the starting point of an electoral reform.”




Universal suffrage has been one of the five key demands of protesters amid the months-long movement, sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill in June.
Simon Tsang, a 24-year-old IT worker, said he would definitely vote. “Everyone must come out to vote. If all of us vote, miracles can happen,” he said.
Why chanting popular slogan could sink chances of election hopefuls
A clerk, who gave her surname as Fan, said she was not too worried about a possible postponement of the elections – an idea floated by the pro-government camp in view of the increasingly violent clashes between police and protesters.
“It is not possible for the pro-Beijing camp to benefit from [the postponement] any more, the support for the opposition is here to stay for a long time to come,” she said.

District councillor Rayman Chow Wai-hung, who is running for re-election at Kwai Shing East Estate against Ng Chi-wah and Cherrie Lai Chung-yan, said a postponement would be seen as a partisan step taken by the government which would further anger not only protesters but also moderate voters. “It will cause further chaos,” he said.
Will protests move indifferent voters to come out and support pan-dem candidates?
Another candidate, Timothy Lee Hin-long, who organised the Hung Hom rally in August, said he was prepared for any eventuality, including a postponement. “When there is an election, we run our campaign. If there’s no campaign, we will see you on the streets.”
Lee is running against Lam Pok and Wong Yi-ting in To Kwa Wan South.
But Adrian Lau Chun-yu was less optimistic. “If the government postponed the elections, allowing [the protests] to drag on, people might go against us because of the impact [of the unrest] on the social order,” he said.

Lau is running for a seat in Shap Pat Heung North against incumbent Shum Ho-kit.
Chanting “I have the right to assemble, I don’t need police’s approval” with the rally-goers, Lau also lambasted the force for its crowd dispersal operations.
“The rally was peaceful and people were not blocking roads. Yet, they charged at us,” he said.
On Tuesday, the authorities banned activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung from running in the elections, saying he had not changed his stance on Hong Kong independence. But protesters on Saturday believed the ban would not impact the elections much.
“It’s just because he is Joshua Wong, other candidates like Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit or ‘Long Hair’ Leung Kwok-hung did not have any problems,” Tsang said.
“But Wong will probably use [the ban] to tell the world about what the Hong Kong government has been doing.”
Additional reporting by Zoe Low and Danny Lee


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Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong protests: demonstrators vow to take battle to the ballots in district council elections

Election candidate Richard Chan was arrested in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on Saturday. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Man Lim-chi, District Council election's candidate in Tai Po district, arrested in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. 02NOV19 SCMP/ Xiaomei Chen

Anti-government protestors stands off with riot police at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. 02NOV19 SCMP / Edmond So

Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung attends a RTHK radio programme at RTHK, Kowloon Tong. Joshua Wong is the only candidate to be banned from running in the district council elections. 30OCT19 Photo:SCMP/Nora Tam

Chaos and violence descend again on the streets of Hong Kong as aggressive police tactics fail to stop radical protesters

Police march down a road in Wan Chai to disperse protesters as a barricade burns. Photo: Felix Wong

People stand inside the lobby of China's Xinhua News Agency damaged by protesters in Hong Kong, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019. Hong Kong riot police fired multiple rounds of tear gas and used a water cannon Saturday to break up a rally by thousands of masked protesters demanding meaningful autonomy after Beijing indicated it could tighten its grip on the Chinese territory. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Anti-government protestor arrested, Wan Chai. 02NOV19 SCMP / Felix Wong

Anti-riot police at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. 02NOV19 SCMP / Edmond So

Anti-government protestors clashes with anti-riot police, Wan Chai. 02NOV19 SCMP / Edmond So

Anti-riot police stands off with anti-government protestors in Tsim Sha Tsui. 02NOV19 SCMP / Jonathan Wong

Pepper spray and body searches as anti-government protesters defy Hong Kong rally ban by holding ‘election hustings’

Protesters on Saturday afternoon head to Central Lawn in Victoria Park for what police said would be unauthorised rally. Photo: Felix Wong

Blue flag at Great George Street. November 2. Photo: Felix Wong  

News

Hong Kong

Politics


Pro-democracy candidates say they will not worry even if polls are postponed
But they warn any delay in holding elections could cause more chaos



Demonstrators say they will translate their protests into votes in the district council elections as a showdown in public opinion looms.


Anti-mainland China sentiments

Hong Kong district council election

Hong Kong protests: demonstrators vow to take battle to the ballots in district council elections

Pro-democracy candidates say they will not worry even if polls are postponed But they warn any delay in holding elections could cause more chaos

Pro-democracy candidates say they will not worry even if polls are postponed

But they warn any delay in holding elections could cause more chaos