Hong Kong Protesters March After Leader Says Democracy Gives Poor Too Much Power
Source: HuffPo
Posted: 10/22/2014 8:12 am EDT Updated: 3 hours ago
HONG KONG -- Representatives from trade unions, women's groups and left-leaning political parties marched on the house of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive C.Y. Leung on Wednesday after he told media outlets that free elections would give poor people too much power.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive said in an interview that Hong Kong required a nominating committee to screen electoral candidates, claiming that if the city allowed the direct civil nomination demanded by democracy protesters, “you’d be talking to the half of the people in Hong Kong who earn less than $1,800 a month.”
Several hundred marchers railed against Leung's comments and a system they claim is rigged to favor business interests, marking a concerted effort to build support among Hong Kong’s working class for the student-led democracy protests that have paralyzed parts of the city for weeks.
“The rich men and most of the capitalists use their power and money to control our Hong Kong economy,” said Ray Cheng, a student who was at the demonstrations representing a group that assists low-income workers. Cheng carried a sign decrying the “bloodsucking capitalists” who he says hold sway over Hong Kong’s political decisions.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/22/hong-kong-protest_n_6026760.html
In related news, C.Y. Leung has surged ahead of Rand Paul and Ted Cruz in Republican presidential polls for 2016.
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