Hong Kong – A major pro-democracy march planned for Saturday in Hong Kong was called off by organizers after a government appeals board denied permission for the march to be held and three prominent activists were arrested. But observers said many demonstrators might show up anyway.
Hong Kong police arrested well-known activist Joshua Wong and a second core member of a pro-democracy group Friday in a mounting crackdown on people involved in this summer’s protests.
Police also arrested Andy Chan, the leader of a pro-independence movement, at the airport Thursday night.
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Saturday is the fifth anniversary of China deciding not to allow fully democratic elections to choose Hong Kong’s leader.
“The first priority of the Civil Human Rights Front is to make sure that all of the participants who participate in our marches will be physically and legally safe. That’s our first priority,” said Bonnie Leung, a leader of the group. “And because of the decision made by the appeal board, we feel very sorry but we have no choice but to cancel the march.”
Police said Wong and Agnes Chow are being investigated for their role in a June 21 unauthorized protest outside a police station. Both face potential charges of participating in the demonstration and inciting others to join it. Wong also is being investigated on suspicion of organizing it.
Police said Chan was arrested under suspicion of rioting and attacking police.
Wong is secretary-general of Demosisto and Chow is a member. He was one of the student leaders of the Umbrella Movement, the major pro-democracy demonstrations in 2014.
Demosisto first reported the arrests on its social media accounts, saying Wong was pushed into a private car as he was heading to a subway station around 7:30 a.m. and has been taken to police headquarters. It later said Chow had also been arrested, at her home.
Wong was released from prison in June after serving a two-month sentence related to that protest. He has been speaking out regularly in support of the pro-democracy protests that have racked Hong Kong this summer.
The protests were set off by extradition legislation that would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China to face trial. That added to general concern that China is chipping away at the rights of Hong Kong residents.
The extradition bill was suspended but the protesters want it withdrawn. They’re also demanding democracy and an independent inquiry into what they say has been police brutality against protesters.
The Reuters news agency is reporting that Beijing rejected a proposal made in early summer by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to withdraw the extradition bill. Reuters cites three people “with direct knowledge of the matter.”
Reuters says the Chinese government also ordered Lam not to give in to any of the other demands activists were making at the time.
