Card Zen and Occupy Central leaders released by police
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - Police released Card Joseph Zen and the three leaders of the Occupy Central movement surrendered to the authorities today at the Sheung Wan police station.
Benny Tai, a law professor; Chan Kin-man, a sociology professor; and Rev Chu Yiu-min arrived carrying a letter which they had all signed, stating that they had taken part in a rally from September 28 and may have broken laws under the Public Order Ordinance.
Occupy Central organisers, who defended their action as a form of "civil disobedience", were accompanied by Card Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Democratic Party members Cheung Man-kwong, Yeung Sum and Wu Chi-wai as well as dozens of supporters who had taken part in the fight for democracy in Hong Kong over the past two months.
Tai said that police gave organisers a form to complete and sign. After handing in their statements, they were released.
Tai also said today marked the end to the civil disobedience campaign advocated by Occupy Central, and that they would vacate Admiralty. However, despite Occupy Central's decision to wrap up the protest, some student groups have vowed to continue the sit-in.
For the movement, whose actions have almost always been non-violent, ending the protest now is an important step to prevent more radical elements from taking it over and causing it to lose the public support it has earned in the past few months.
When they arrived at the police station, Occupy leaders were greeted by supporters, but also jeered by pro-China groups that accused them of dividing society, and endangering the economic well-being of Hong Kong.
In reality, the territory's economic picture over the past two months has been mixed. Foreign investments have not dropped, retail sales have increased, but trade with mainland China did decline. However, the latter probably depends more on the mainland's own economic crisis than on Occupy Central.
For Benny Tai, the civil disobedience movement has opened a new chapter in the struggle for democracy in Hong Kong.
Even though the movement failed to move Beijing and the Hong Kong government or achieve any concessions, its campaign has raised awareness among younger Hongkongers about the need for democracy.
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