Thousands Protest China’s Plans for Hong Kong Schools
Source: NYT
HONG KONG — Thousands of people took to the streets here on Sunday to protest the introduction of Chinese national education in Hong Kong schools, a day after the city’s education minister warned that such demonstrations would not stop or delay the process.
Victoria Park, the traditional starting point for the city’s frequent protests, was a sea of umbrellas as parents shielded their children from the sun. There have been at least two demonstrations since June: Hong Kong’s annual vigil for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square killings in Beijing, and a protest on the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong’s transfer from British control to Chinese rule. That protest coincided with the swearing-in of Hong Kong’s new Beijing-backed leader, Leung Chun-ying, on July 1.
The protesters on Sunday, including many young families, blocked off large parts of the Causeway Bay commercial area as they inched toward the new government headquarters in the city center. Many felt that the changes had been rushed through without public consultation.
Organizers told Hong Kong’s public broadcaster, RTHK, that 90,000 took part in the protest, but the police put the figure at 32,000.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/world/asia/thousands-protest-chinas-curriculum-plans-for-hong-kong-schools.html
