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BBC Chinese: Teachers and Unions Join Hong Kong Protesters

On September 28, 2014, Hong Kong police used tear gas against the peaceful pro-democracy protestors, the students who have boycotted classes, and the “Occupy Central” group. The Chinese government’s withdrawal of its previous promise for a true free election in Hong Kong by 2017 is what sparked the Occupy Central movement. The police forces’ use of tear gas did not scare the protestors away. The Hong Kong Federation of Students then delivered an ultimatum to the Hong Kong SAR government. If the Hong Kong SAR government did not respond to their requests before midnight, they would call for more protests, including a continuous boycott of classes, a general strike, and the closing of shops until there is a “people’s victory.”

The Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union (HKPTU), the city’s largest teachers’ union, declared a strike in response the police use of force in its crackdown on student demonstrators on Sunday. The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) also called for a strike to protest the ruthless actions taken against unarmed peaceful protestors. The Chinese government’s Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong S.A.R. published a statement, accusing the “Occupy Central” gathering of being “illegal.” It supported the “legal actions” of the police against the protestors. A spokesman from China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the state Council responded that “the central government firmly opposes any illegal actions to damage the rule of law and society’s peace.”

Source: BBC Chinese, September 28, 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2014/09/140928_hk_protestor_strike