Hong Kong recognizes National day despite turmoil

After six days of demonstrations, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong seem far from over.

As city officials celebrated a Chinese national holiday with ceremonies and champagne, activists kept up their calls for free and open elections.

Tens of thousands of protesters are saturating the city’s main commercial district tonight. They’re demanding the resignation of the city’s leader, its chief executive, and they’re demanding they have a right to freely elect their own leader.

The chief executive was less than a mile away from the protests this morning, at China’s national day ceremony, clinking champagne glasses with the city’s elite. He was briefly interrupted by a pro-democracy legislator.

The leader is demanding that protesters go home. And even though the demonstrations have been ongoing for days, state media in China only acknowledged the protests for the first time today.

In an editorial a Chinese newsreader said the central government is losing patience with the Hong Kong protesters and may push for action to end them. He went on to say all Hong Kong residents should support the authorities to ‘deploy police’ and ‘restore the social order as soon as possible’.

Meantime, Premier Kathleen Wynne says she’s going ahead with her trade mission to China later this month — despite the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

This will be Wynne’s first international trade mission as premier. Today she attended a flag raising ceremony outside Queen’s Park to mark the People’s Republic of China’s 65th anniversary.

China is Ontario’s second-largest trading partner. Wynne’s mission will involve about 60 businesses and organizations as one of the trip’s goals is to showcase Ontario’s expertise in science and technology. Today, the Premier was asked about the timing of her visit given the ongoing pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne: “So I met with the Consul General yesterday. Michael Chan and I met with the Consul General here at Queen’s Park and I said exactly what I said now. We support freedom of speech. We support people right to express themselves in a peaceful setting. I will continue to reinforce that message wherever I go.”

Catherine Fife, NDP MPP: “All eyes are on Hong Kong and basically our position is that we’d like to see Beijing honour its promise to the people of Hong Kong so they can have the right to vote. They are protesting peacefully. It is their right to do so.”

Fang Li, Consul General, China: “I think Hong Kong people have the right to demonstrate peacefully but everything is done according to the basic law of Hong Kong is one country two systems. So we hope that the Hong Kong people together with the government of Hong Kong will peacefully settle the problems.”

Wynne leaves for the week-long mission October 25th. she will not be travelling to Hong Kong during her visit.