Pro-democracy activists hung a yellow banner with the words “I want genuine universal suffrage” on Hong Kong’s famous Lion Rock mountain peak on the morning of its small-circle chief executive election.
The banner was a symbol of the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy protests, and was first hung on Lion Rock – considered a symbol of Hong Kong – on October 23. That autumn, protesters filled the streets for 79 days to call for the reform of the city’s election system. Sunday’s leadership election will be decided by a committee of only 1,194 electors.
Chairman Avery Ng of the pro-democracy League of Social Democrats said his fellow party members were responsible for putting up the banner, reported digital media outlet Stand News.
The same banner was also flown from a hillside near Lion Rock last May, when Chinese state leader Zhang Dejiang visited Hong Kong.
Police have so far not removed Sunday’s banner, but the previous banners were removed within hours of being discovered.
The small-circle election will be held on Sunday from 9am to 11am. Candidates are former chief secretary Carrie Lam – heavily rumoured to be favoured by Beijing, the popular former financial secretary John Tsang, and retired judge Woo Kwok-hing.
Follow HKFP’s live blog of the chief executive election here.
