HONG KONG — On a holiday meant to celebrate the birth of China’s Communist Republic, Hong Kong residents instead swarmed the streets to protest Beijing’s iron grip over their government and demand democratic reforms.
The massive crowds appeared to be the biggest yet amid a week of demonstrations that have brought large parts of the city to a standstill.
Throughout Hong Kong, it was a day of jarring images and symbolism as authorities tried to carry on with National Day celebrations only to have protesters respond with acts of emotional though peaceful defiance.
Hong Kong’s top official Leung Chun-ying began the morning sharing a champagne toast with other Chinese officials while demonstrators nearby booed and jeered. At the ceremony as organizers played the Chinese national anthem, a group of student protesters turned their backs on a Chinese flag being raised and crossed their hands in silent protest.
For many in Hong Kong — who have remained ambivalent about the demonstrations — the day in some ways boiled down months and even years of debate about their government, Chinese rule, and the future of Hong Kong into this simple choice: to join the protest or not.
Four days into protests that have brought large parts of the city to a standstill, both sides appeared to be carefully plotting their next move. Some pro-democracy leaders demanded a meeting with Hong Kong’s chief executive and threatened new acts of civil disobedience if the demand is not met.
The main actors in Wednesday’s drama were the protesters and authorities of Hong Kong, but the mainland Chinese leadership will be following events closely. Huge public protest is an anathema to Beijing, and what happens in Hong Kong over the next day or two could shape the Chinese response.
Both sides are trying hard to woo the middle because Hong Kong is home to a substantial silent majority — residents who do not wish to engage or pick sides in Hong Kong’s fight with Beijing and are largely focused on their jobs, businesses and other more immediate concerns.
“Most people in Hong Kong are not political animals, and most people also realize Beijing will not change its mind” in tightening its grip over Hong Kong’s politics and government,” said Willy Lam, an analyst at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. “That’s what makes these protests so surprising and spontaneous.”
But despite the numbers, Beijing has traditionally been loath to give in to such public pressure. President Xi Jinping has spent considerable political capital consolidating his power and fostered some resentment among party officials by cracking down on corruption. Giving in to democratic demands in Hong Kong could make him look vulnerable, some experts say.
And as Xi’s subordinate in Hong Kong, Leung has limited options to defuse the situation. In his statement Tuesday, Leung did not lay out any plan for quelling the protests and refused to say whether his officials would meet with demonstrators.
Beijing, Leung argued, will not bend. “The Chinese government won’t give in to threats asserted through illegal activity,” he said Tuesday.
As a result, he may not be able to do anything to appease protesters and can only wait for their momentum to run out.
“That’s why,” said Michael Davis, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong, “the end game right now is winning hearts and minds of Hong Kong people. Both sides need the public on their side to win.”
William Wan is The Post’s China correspondent based in Beijing. He served previously as a religion reporter and diplomatic correspondent.
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