Poster for protest walk held by the Ontario United Front of Hong Kong Students. The Chinese characters say, “Hold tight to freedom in the storm.”
Umbrellas are opening up on the streets of Toronto, and it’s not just because it’s raining.
The Ontario United Front of Hong Kong Students invited over 5,000 students to participate in a protest march for Wednesday at 2 p.m. to show their support for those fighting for democracy in Hong Kong.
Currently, they have over 1,100 participants that have confirmed their attendance. Their group Facebook page states, “Despite living at a distance from our home, we cannot turn a blind eye on the present and future of Hong Kong, support Hong Kong students to fight for universal suffrage under no police violence!”
Eddie Li, 29, is preparing to take a break from work to attend the protest.
“I have family and friends in Hong Kong and I used to be able to see their Facebook about what’s going on. But now that’s barred. And so is Twitter and Instagram,” Li said. “I just think it’s so unfair, our parents’ generation was under so many restrictions, and now we’re facing the same unfair treatment, and it’s 2014!”
The march begins at 2:15 p.m. in front of the University of Toronto’s main entrance between College Street and King’s College Circle, and will end at the Hong Kong Economic and Trades Office (HKETO) on 174 St. George St. where they will deliver a petition letter. Yellow ribbons will be distributed throughout the day where protesters will end their walk by tying the ribbon onto the gates of the HKETO.