Civil servants voice dissent amid protests
HONG KONG — Hong Kong civil servants and supporters crowded into a public park Friday to join a prodemocracy movement which China’s top diplomat accused Western nations of provoking.
Several thousand joined the event for government workers to stand in solidarity with protesters who have called for greater democratic rights and government accountability over the past two months. As rain hit the umbrellaready crowd, attendees dispersed willingly, avoiding the police clashes that have increasingly beleaguered demonstrations.
“As civil servants, if we don’t stand up, that means we are disloyal,” said K.H. Wu, a retiree who worked for the government’s census department for 40 years. “Our loyalties are not to a particular government, but to the people.”
Wu attended the rally with his wife, also a civil servant. He said this was the first time he participated in a rally in which he openly shared his status as a former government worker. He said he did so because he feels “there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“Right now the Hong Kong government is blindly leading the people,” Wu said. “They disregard the needs of the population.”
Officials had warned civil servants ahead of the rally they could be disciplined if they showed partiality or criticized special officials and polices. The increased risk was written into posters about the event, which cautioned participants against calling for the resignation of government officials, expressing anything related to Hong Kong independence and accepting donations.
As the crowd flooded into the streets, demonstrators held up signs that said “We are civil servants and willing to step up!” and “Political neutrality does not equal conscienceless.”
About a thousand medical workers participated in a rally Friday in another part of the city. In recent days, representatives of the financial and medical sectors have also held rallies to show their support for protesters.
Meanwhile, China’s top diplomat was quoted in the state Xinhua News Agency on Friday accusing the U.S. and other Western nations of arranging meetings between highlevel officials and protest leaders and encouraging their actions.
“The U.S. and some other Western governments … are constantly fanning the flames of the situation in Hong Kong,” State Councilor Yang Jiechi was quoted as saying.