Out in Force

 

Some 40,000 people turned out for a civil servants' rally at Chater Garden

Organizers say 40,000 people turned out for the civil servants' rally at Chater Garden in Central tonight. It started at 7pm but there were already lots of people streaming into the public space an hour before.

There was also a rally at Edinburgh Place near the Central post office for healthcare professionals. They chant "Save lives, save Hong Kong". It is the second time this group of people have held a assembly to voice their frustration with the government along with issues like not enough protection of patients' privacy in public hospitals and police allegedly obstructing first-aid workers at protest scenes.

Earlier there was another one for healthcare professionals

Last Friday some 1,500 gathered at Queen Elizabeth Hospital to condemn the mob violence in Yuen Long on July 21.

Earlier in the day Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung warned civil servants to remain politically neutral. He warned them not to participate in the rally, saying they should not "do things in contrast with the government's views".

However, after more than eight weeks of no resolution in sight and escalating violence, thousands of them defied him and many interviewed by reporters said they were joining the rally as ordinary citizens during their off-work hours.

It was easy to tell the turnout was going to be huge this evening. At 7.20pm the Central MTR station was packed with people, mostly dressed in black T-shirts and walking towards Exit J where Chater Garden is. Partway through the large station, the massive crowd stopped because there were so many people slowed down by the turnstile exits. 

A massive crowd inching toward the exit in the MTR station

Slowly the mass of people inched forward and despite it being rush hour period, no one complained and calmly made their way to the exits. It was obvious they were all there for the same event. Outside police tried to keep the crowds from spilling out into Des Voeux Road, and for the most part everyone obeyed.

One well respected former chief secretary who came out to support the civil servants was Anson Chan Fang On-sang. She came out to speak at the rally, admiring those with the conscience and moral courage to come out despite the government's "stern and apparently intimidating statement" on Thursday night.

"To cultivate a civil service that is excellent and efficient at work, that has high morale, that adheres to political neutrality, we not only need civil servants to be loyal to their duties," Chan says. "More importantly, the chief executive and her leadership team must protect institutional justice and answer people's demands."

Former chief secretary Anson Chan addressing the crowd

A woman handed out a thick leaflet stapled together, listing the various government departments that were participating in the rally: the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Civil Engineering and Development Department, Hong Kong Housing Authority, Dental Surgeons, Dental Surgery Assistants and Dental Hygienists under the Department of Health and Lands Department, and Clerical staff of the Hospital Authority. 

Political scientist Joseph Chan Cho-wai of the University of Hong Kong took to the stage. He said he told senior government officials a few weeks ago there were only two ways to handle the protests -- to reform or to suppress.

"When public grievances sweep like floods, you either divert the water or build a dam. It's a pity that the government chose the dam," Joseph Chan says. "But a dam built with police using force, triad intimidating people, outdated laws and Beijing's intervention cannot stop this flood."

He said civil servants' duty is not to defend the dam, but the institutions protecting rule of law, justice and freedom. "Priority of rule of law is to constrain the government from abusing power," he says. "Civil servants should defend this tradition."

Protesters spilled onto Des Voeux Road by HSBC

Before 8.30pm the crowds had spilled onto Des Voeux Road so buses and other vehicles (except trams) had no choice but to go to Queens Road Central, causing a giant traffic jam. It also started to rain lightly, prompting everyone to open their umbrellas and huddle together.

Surely with such a turnout tonight, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has lost a big chunk of support from her own civil service? Does she even care?

Meanwhile inside the MTR station, there were people holding signs to encourage residents to take part in the general strike planned for this Monday.

How many people will join in? Apparently disruptions on the MTR will start at 7.30am, and massive rallies to be held in seven locations simultaneously from 1pm onwards.

CARRIE! WHERE ARE YOU?