Hong Kong protesters continue occupation of roads

Anti-election law protesters in Hong Kong have decided to continue with their occupation of main roads as they demand electoral reform.

The announcement came despite the fact that the three leaders of Occupy Central protest group turned themselves in to the police on Wednesday in a symbolic move to get protesters off the streets.

The rallies in Hong Kong to protest against an election law introduced by the Chinese government drew tens of thousands at their height. However, numbers have decreased as public support for the movement has diminished.

“There needs to be a decision that is made about whether to leave or stay,” said Yvonne Leung Lai-kwok, of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, which has led the mass street protests, adding, “Within a week’s time, we definitely will have to have a decision.”

Under the election law, the people of Hong Kong will have to elect their next leader from a list of Beijing-vetted candidates in 2017.

The protesters demand that the Hong Kong government abandon plans to allow China to monitor nominations for the city’s next chief executive.

Back in August 2014, China ruled that voters in Hong Kong will only have a choice from a list of two or three candidates selected by a nominating committee.

Protesters say China will use the committee to screen out candidates of which it disapproves.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. The financial hub has enjoyed substantial political autonomy since 1997, when its leadership returned to China after about a century of British colonial rule.