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Hong Kong elections: no black T-shirts or masks in sight, as protesters tell supporters to go out and vote
- Protesters hope a big win for opposition will force government to heed their demands
- Voters supporting pro-Beijing candidates say they want protest disruptions to end
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Kinling Loin Beijing
If there was no sign anywhere in Hong Kong on Sunday of masked protesters in black T-shirts, it was because the word went out to all to set November 24 aside for voting in the district council elections.
Online platforms popular among protesters, including the Telegram messaging app and online forum LIHKG, shared messages telling everyone eligible to vote not to use their smartphones, dress in black, or wear masks inside polling stations to make sure their votes are valid.
Regular protester Kevin, 21, a student at the University of Hong Kong, cast his ballot and encouraged others to vote against pro-government candidates.
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“The only winning result, for me, will be when the government responds to our five demands,” he said, referring to protesters’ calls for universal suffrage and an inquiry into alleged police brutality, among others.
“If we have more votes in the pro-democracy camp, we’ll have more legitimacy to fight on,” he said.
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After more than five months of unrest, the past two weeks have seen clashes between police and students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Polytechnic University.
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