Mothers rally as Hong Kong’s divide shows no sign of closing

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s societal divide showed no sign of closing Friday as students rebuffed an offer from city leader Carrie Lam to meet and a few thousand mothers rallied in support of young protesters who left a trail of destruction in the legislature’s building at the start of the week.

The mainland’s economic influence loomed large at the rally, held in a square under the towering offices of the Bank of China and other Chinese banks. Many young people feel left out of the China-driven economy, struggling to make ends meet and stuck in tiny apartments because of soaring real estate prices. They think a democratically elected government would be more responsive than one chosen by proBeijing elites who benefit from the economic ties to the mainland.

The Monday night assault on the legislature — in which glass walls were shattered, slogans spraypainted over the walls and the electronic voting system destroyed — seems to have hardened positions on both sides.

Lam, who disappeared from public view for two weeks as protests mounted, pledged to do a better job of listening to the voices of young people in a speech on Monday.

But her invitation later in the week to meet behind closed doors was rebuffed by student unions at two Hong Kong universities as insincere and a publicity gimmick.

Student leaders said at a news conference Friday that any meeting should be public and include a wider representation than just them. They also demanded that protesters, dozens of whom have been arrested, would not be prosecuted.