– Beijing warns against foreign intervention
Protesters in Hong Kong who say China has reneged its promise for free and fair elections in 2017, blocked major roads in the center of town, refusing to back down after police this weekend fired tear gas and baton charged peaceful demonstrators.
Tens of thousands of people confronted riot police over the weekend, with many using umbrellas to block tear gas. Some media outlets have dubbed the protests the “Umbrella Revolution.”
Police said they used tear gas 87 times at nine different locations on Sunday. Seventy-eight people were arrested on Sunday and 26 people were taken to hospitals.
Student groups launched a boycott of classes on September 22, to protest the Chinese government’s decision to restrict elections in Hong Kong. As the Associated Press reported, Beijing decided last month that the Chinese Government would restrict for the “first-ever elections for Hong Kong’s leader” in 2017, instead of allowing open nominations.
The standoff represents the worst unrest Hong Kong has seen since China gained rule over the area in 1997 from Britain under a “one country, two systems” agreement.
Meanwhile, amidst the ongoing crisis, the Chinese government has warned against any form of foreign intervention with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying saying,
“We are resolutely opposed to any foreign country using any method to interfere in China’s internal affairs. We are also resolutely opposed to any country attempting in any way to support such illegal activities like ‘Occupy Central.’ We are fully confident in the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, because I believe this is in keeping with the interests of all the people in China, the region and the world”
Extracted and modified from Yahoo News
