Nearly half-a-million rally to reject HK violence

Holding signs written with slogans including ‘Stop Riots,’ ‘Anti-violence’ and ‘Save Hong Kong,’ the crowd was enthusiastic and impassioned despite the rain

HONG KONG (Xinhua) — Over 470,000 people gathered on Saturday in a rally held at Tamar Park, Admiralty of Hong Kong to voice out their demand for peace and stability in Hong Kong.

At around 4 p.m. local time, the metro station near Tamar Park was swarming with people. An hour later, the rally started as the Chinese national anthem was ringing out.

Waving the Chinese national flag and the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and holding signs written with slogans including “Stop Riots,” “Anti-violence” and “Save Hong Kong,” the crowd was enthusiastic and impassioned despite the rain.

At the beginning of the rally, a video was played, featuring a recording of a policeman’s wife who spoke, choking back sobs, of how violent protesters stormed the police stations and attacked the police.

She appealed to the public to support the police and Hong Kong during this difficult time.

“Police, keep it up!,” “Save Hong Kong!” the crowd cried out at the end of the video.

Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, called upon people from all walks of life to firmly oppose violence.

The national flag and emblem represent the dignity of the country, and those who insult the national flag and emblem are turning themselves into enemies of the people in the whole country, Tam added.

Rebuking the recent illegal assemblies and violent acts at Hong Kong International Airport as “the ugliest riot in the world,” Maria Tam Wai-chu deputy director of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee Basic Law Committee from Hong Kong, stressed that everyone should respect the freedoms of others and the exercise of freedom does not include wanton destruction of public properties or obstruction of public transport.

Wong Kam-leung, chairman of Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, said that the violence in Hong Kong has been escalating over the past two months and he was distressed to see young people using force and violating laws.