International movement voices solidarity with demonstrators

From New York, London, Paris, Hamburg, San Francisco and Sydney, a global movement in support of the Hong Kong pro-democracy demonstrations is making itself felt at sympathy rallies or in photographs posted on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

There is even a Twitter account — @GlobalSolidHK.

In Singapore, a candlelight vigil is expected to be held tonight at 7.30pm to show solidarity with demonstrators in Hong Kong.

The event, known as Democracy Now! Singapore in Solidarity with Hong Kong, is being organised by Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), a non-governmental organisation.

Its Facebook page showed that about 272 people had indicated that they would attend. Participants have been asked to come in black and don a yellow ribbon or carry yellow umbrellas, in reference to the symbols of the Hong Kong protest movement.

Along with the Singapore rally, multiple rallies are expected to be held across the globe today to mark the Oct 1date — the Chinese National Day holiday — when the main group behind Hong Kong’s pro-democracy campaign intended to kick-start its protests before moving it forward to Sunday in response to a police crackdown on student protesters.

According to a Facebook page, United for Democracy: Global Solidarity with Hong Kong, multiple rallies have been scheduled to take place in Toronto, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Seattle and Dublin.

Sympathy rallies were also held across Australia, home to many recent immigrants from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, on Monday, while other demonstrations took place in Paris and Kuala Lumpur.

Over the weekend, protests were held at London’s Trafalgar Square and in New York City. Media reports said more than 50 people gathered in Manhattan’s Chinatown on Sunday, chanting “Hong Kong, democracy! Hong Kong, be strong”. Agencies