Calgary’s Chinese community shows support for Hong Kong protestors
By Helen Pike Helen Pike
Contributed Kempton Lam photographs a group of Calgarians gathered Sunday, September 28 holding up characters that read: "Calgarians support Hong Kong Occupy Central Movement."
About 30 Calgarians gathered Sunday at the Crescent Height Scenic Viewpoint to show their support for the Hong Kong umbrella movement, a reportedly peaceful protest started by pro-democratic students.
Organized by Pun York Tong and Paul Cheng, the group posed for a photo to show their support for students and citizen protesters, holding up characters that read: “Calgarians support Hong Kong Occupy Central Movement.”
Tong says the actions of police make people in Hong Kong very upset. “We want to tell people who are living overseas to know that it was not reasonable,” he said. “We are now living in Canada very safely and enjoying democracy, but the students in Hong Kong also want to have democracy.”
The week-old movement garnered international attention and criticism from citizens of Hong Kong and spectators around the world after reports of police using tear gas against protestors.
Kempton Lam, a Documentary filmmaker with family in Hong Kong, was at the Calgary gathering. He has been watching events unfold over social media, his main source for information on protests.
“Seeing stuff like this happening in Hong Kong just pulls my heart,” he says. “I think people around the world see what’s happening in Hong Kong as wrong.”
The local support is small, but growing. Monday, after the event a Facebook group was created. It now has over 70 members with plans of another event in the future
By Helen Pike Helen Pike
Contributed Kempton Lam photographs a group of Calgarians gathered Sunday, September 28 holding up characters that read: "Calgarians support Hong Kong Occupy Central Movement."
About 30 Calgarians gathered Sunday at the Crescent Height Scenic Viewpoint to show their support for the Hong Kong umbrella movement, a reportedly peaceful protest started by pro-democratic students.
Organized by Pun York Tong and Paul Cheng, the group posed for a photo to show their support for students and citizen protesters, holding up characters that read: “Calgarians support Hong Kong Occupy Central Movement.”
Tong says the actions of police make people in Hong Kong very upset. “We want to tell people who are living overseas to know that it was not reasonable,” he said. “We are now living in Canada very safely and enjoying democracy, but the students in Hong Kong also want to have democracy.”
The week-old movement garnered international attention and criticism from citizens of Hong Kong and spectators around the world after reports of police using tear gas against protestors.
Kempton Lam, a Documentary filmmaker with family in Hong Kong, was at the Calgary gathering. He has been watching events unfold over social media, his main source for information on protests.
“Seeing stuff like this happening in Hong Kong just pulls my heart,” he says. “I think people around the world see what’s happening in Hong Kong as wrong.”
The local support is small, but growing. Monday, after the event a Facebook group was created. It now has over 70 members with plans of another event in the future
