Chinese authorities in Hong Kong arrested 196 protestors at a sit-in to demand electoral freedom, in the city's Central district in the early morning hours Wednesday.
The demonstration, held to mark the anniversary of when China retook control of the former British colony in 1997, was described by some as the largest such rally in a decade, the BBC reports.
Organizers claimed that about half a million people participated, while police placed the number at closer to 100,000.
After a march earlier in the day, hundreds of protestors staged a sit-in in the central financial district, which police deemed 'unauthorized,' leading to the arrests.
Facing annual protests by locals, Beijing has promised to introduce universal suffrage in Hong Kong by 2017, though how that will be implemented remains to be seen.
[ BBC]
Entities 0 Name: Hong Kong Count: 2 1 Name: China Count: 1 2 Name: Central district Count: 1 3 Name: BBC Count: 1 4 Name: Beijing Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1vq6Mff Title: Hong Kong Clears Protesters After Biggest Rally in Decade Description: Related Hundreds of police cleared protesters from Hong Kong's main business district today after the biggest march in a decade, held to demand full democracy and oppose Chinese control of elections, turned into an overnight sit-in. Police have arrested 196 people for illegal gathering and obstruction of traffic at Chater Road, with 40 bus routes affected, spokesman Steve Hui said.
