Occupy Hong Kong gets boot
Source: Agencies |
August 14, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
HSBC won a legal bid yesterday to have members of the Occupy Hong Kong movement evicted from the open-air plaza beneath the bank's Asian headquarters, bringing an end to one of the longest-running Occupy demonstrations.
The Hong Kong protests, sparked by the Occupy Wall Street movement that blamed US financial policies for the income gap between rich and poor, spanned growing resentment in this city of 7 million people over perceived cozy ties of government and big business.
The movement's aim to draw worldwide attention to income inequality also touched a nerve in Hong Kong, which has one of the biggest income gaps in Asia and property prices among the highest in the world.
Yesterday's order came more than nine months after protesters pitched tents in the heart of Hong Kong's financial district, home to global banks such as Standard Chartered , Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.
The protesters, given until August 27 to leave, were defiant.
"We won't leave even if they (come) here to remove us and we'll hold a meeting tomorrow night to discuss how we'll deal with the eviction," said Leung Wing Lai, a core member of the Occupy Hong Kong movement.
HSBC said it took legal action after attempts to get protesters to leave voluntarily failed.
The Hong Kong movement attracted students, young professionals, activists, the unemployed and the homeless, as well as victims of the Lehman mini-bond scandal who faced massive losses when the New York-based investment bank filed for bankruptcy in 2008.
The plaza was home to some 100 protesters at its peak, said spokesperson Tiv Wong, though only around 10 remained.
The Hong Kong protests, sparked by the Occupy Wall Street movement that blamed US financial policies for the income gap between rich and poor, spanned growing resentment in this city of 7 million people over perceived cozy ties of government and big business.
The movement's aim to draw worldwide attention to income inequality also touched a nerve in Hong Kong, which has one of the biggest income gaps in Asia and property prices among the highest in the world.
Yesterday's order came more than nine months after protesters pitched tents in the heart of Hong Kong's financial district, home to global banks such as Standard Chartered , Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan.
The protesters, given until August 27 to leave, were defiant.
"We won't leave even if they (come) here to remove us and we'll hold a meeting tomorrow night to discuss how we'll deal with the eviction," said Leung Wing Lai, a core member of the Occupy Hong Kong movement.
HSBC said it took legal action after attempts to get protesters to leave voluntarily failed.
The Hong Kong movement attracted students, young professionals, activists, the unemployed and the homeless, as well as victims of the Lehman mini-bond scandal who faced massive losses when the New York-based investment bank filed for bankruptcy in 2008.
The plaza was home to some 100 protesters at its peak, said spokesperson Tiv Wong, though only around 10 remained.
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