Overseas Chinese stage peaceful rallies voicing 'Protect Hong Kong' from violence

BEIJING -- Throughout the past week, overseas Chinese held several peaceful rallies around the world to voice out their call for an end to violence in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

On Aug 11, hundreds of Chinese Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area launched a large-scale rally at the Markham Shopping Center Square to call for stability, prosperity and peace in Hong Kong.

The most pressing and overriding task of Hong Kong is to stop violence, end the chaos and restore order, they said, adding Hong Kong police have showed their professionalism in coping with the violent protests.

"I would like to take this opportunity to pay our high respect to the outstanding Hong Kong police officers who have been on the job, performed their duties, showed no fear and endured a lot of humiliation," said Weng Guoning, president of the Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations.

On Saturday, around 3,000 people, mostly Chinese students, marched peacefully through the streets of Sydney in a rally themed "Stop Riots in Hong Kong."

Holding placards written with slogans including "Protect Hong Kong, Fight Against Violence," the large group chanted "we love China, we love Hong Kong," and sang the Chinese national anthem along the way.

"We came here to stand against the violent riots and the decaying law and order in Hong Kong," said Tony Jiang, an Australian citizen of Chinese descent.

"I think those rioters should stop what they are doing and truly talk to the government, not using violence. Talking is the way. Violence is not," a female organizer who asked to be referred to as CC told Xinhua.

"This is not peaceful at all," she said.

"We are all Chinese. There is only one China ... We are all brothers and sisters," said a Chinese-Australian citizen named Ray.

On Sunday, San Francisco also witnessed overseas Chinese gathering to express their firm objection to violence and strong support for the HKSAR government and Hong Kong police.

Hundreds of overseas Chinese held a peaceful rally at Union Square in downtown San Francisco to support Hong Kong as an indisputable part of China and oppose the violence committed by the rioters in the Chinese special administrative region over the past few weeks.

The participants, mostly young people including students, white-collar workers and business owners, came from different parts of the Bay Area to express their patriotism and zero tolerance of violence by radical protesters in Hong Kong.

Any attempt by some extremists in Hong Kong to promote the so-called "Hong Kong Independence" must be opposed, said Vivian Liu, a designer with a local wedding company.

"As a Chinese living outside of China, we have the obligation to come forward to support our own country when those people with ulterior motives are launching a smear campaign against China," said Wang Zhonghan, a student at City College of San Francisco.

"How could there be justice when violence is what is exercised, and how could there be freedom when law and order is compromised," said Chino Yang, a Chinese American rapper, who is also one of the sponsors of the rally.

On the same day, overseas Chinese and Chinese students in London also attended a rally at noon to voice out their demand for peace and stability in Hong Kong despite bad weather.

"I love Hong Kong, I love China," "One China," chanted the crowd in Mandarin, Cantonese and English while holding placards written with slogans including "Stop Violence" and "Save Hong Kong."

"We want to take today's opportunity to express our dissatisfaction with 'Hong Kong independence' and violence," said Zhang Yanqian, a student from Kingston University who participated in the rally.

"We speak the same language and keep the same blood. We should unite and make the motherland prosperous and strong," he said, voicing their hope to show their patriotism through the rally.

On Sunday afternoon in downtown Boston, hundreds of people gathered at the State House and then marched to Chinatown, waving the Chinese national flag, holding banners, and chorusing the Chinese national anthem and many other Chinese songs to show their backing for solidarity and unity.

"There is no police brutality," said overseas Chinese Yu Qicheng during the rally, rejecting rumors spread by some violent protesters of Hong Kong.

"The brutality has been inflicted on ordinary Hong Kong people and people visiting Hong Kong by those violent protesters," he said.