Dressed like Guy Fawkes, the rebel who tried to set fire to the British Parliament, young people wanted to bring the democracy protests back into focus of public attention. Today, the Student Federation must decide whether or not to participate in further talks with the government on political reform.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A group of democracy protesters in Hong Kong clashed with the police in the central area of Mong Kok last night, after the police intervened to clear young people dressed in Guy Fawkes masks. The officers arrested three protesters, who took advantage of 5 November - the British "Gunpowder plot" orchestrated by Fawkes - to refocus public attention on the need for democracy in the Territory.

For over a month the members of the Student Federation joined the Occupy protesters blocking the central business district of Hong Kong. The protest mounted after the National People's Congress in Beijing effectively ruled out a true democratic development for the Territory.

Despite the promises made before Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the guarantee of a genuine universal suffrage by 2017, China has forced the creation of a commission (loyal to Beijing) to "vet" candidates.

This has led to heated popular protests, which was joined in the first two weeks of strikes and demonstrations by Democrats in their droves. Over time, the dimensions of the protest have diminished, and they now seem to be petering out. Currently there are between 150 and 200 protesters still involved in the sit-in.

Today, the Student Federation will have to decide whether to participate in the new round of talks with Beijing: those with the local government had no outcome, and now the young people are considering whether to send a delegation to the Chinese capital.

 

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