Hong Kong students join boycott after weekend of violence
They wore masks over their mouths, but the voice of Hong Kong students was loud and clear on Monday (September 2).
Thousands of them chose to boycott school and university for the day, in the latest anti-government protest here that some fear could one day be made illegal.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST AGNES CHOW, SAYING:
"If we stop fighting, Hong Kong will be ended and one country two system might properly be ended, and our rights, our basic political right of getting involved in social movement of opposing the government will probably be ended also."
This was a peaceful protest against the now-suspended extradition bill - an altogether different kind from the violent scenes over the weekend and many times before.
They want greater democracy for the former British colony, which returned to China 22 years ago under a "one country, two systems" formula.
That system guarantees wide-ranging autonomy, including the right to protest and an independent judiciary.
But children and students here, much like their elders, fear those freedoms are being slowly eroded by Communist Party rulers in Beijing - a charge China denies.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STUDENT, MICHAEL CHAN, SAYING:
"We don't want our children to live under a society that is really unfair, injustice. And I think this is the minimum that we can do,"
An audio recording has revealed Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam admitting she caused "unforgivable havoc" by igniting the political crisis engulfing the city right now - and would quit if she had a choice.
The proposed law - which would have paved the way for suspected criminals to face trial in mainland China - may have been shelved.
But it seems people here - both young and old - are not yet convinced that China has given up trying to gain greater control of their lives.
