Thousands of protesters take to streets of Hong Kong demanding greater democracy waving British colonial flags

Protestors called for the resignation of city leader Leung Chun-ying

His popularity has tumbled since he took office back in July

Many of the 130,000 protestors waved flags from the British colonial era

They called for greater democracy to be handed back to the people



Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong yesterday to demand greater democracy and the resignation of the city’s Beijing-back leader - with some waving British colonial flags.



Since taking office in July, Leung Chun-ying’s popularity ratings have tumbled amid a row over illegal structures at his luxury home and his closeness to China’s communist leaders.



Holding up posters of Mr Leung portrayed as a vampire and a wolf, some of estimated 130,000 protesters waved flags from the British colonial era which has the Union jack in the left hand corner.



Anti-government protesters calling for the resignation of Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung, are seen with the British colonial flag of Hong Kong, as they march through the streets of the city during a New Year's Day rally

Anger: Tens of thousands of protestors took to Hong Kong's streets in protest todat, many were wearing Guy Fawkes masks

They chanted ‘Give us universal suffrage now’ and ‘Step down, Leung’.



Many in the former British colony of seven million - which was returned to China 15 years ago - claim Mr Leung is a ‘stooge of Beijing’.



They say under his leadership the city’s semi-autonomous status, which guarantees civil liberties including the right to protest not seen on the mainland, is being eroded.

An unpopular pro-Beijing education curriculum that was later shelved, high property prices and a massive influx of mainland Chinese has seen resentment against China increase.



And protesters claim promised political reform - including universal suffrage - has been stonewalled by Beijing, which says the city’s chief executive could be directly elected in 2017 at the earliest.



‘We don’t even have a vote, Leung is elected by a small group of people. We cannot use our voting right to express our view no matter how his performance is,’ said protester, designer Calvin Tse.



On the march: Tens of thousands of protestors marched through the Hong Kong streets calling for greater democracy and the resignation of Leung Chun-ying whose popularity has tumbled since he took office in July



Rally: Holding up posters of Mr Leung portrayed as a vampire and a wolf, some of estimated 130,000 protesters waved flags from the British colonial era which has the Union jack in the left hand corner

Hundreds of police blocked protesters marching to the symbolic former Legislative Council Building.



Hong Kong’s last governor, the now BBC Trust chairman Chris Patten, introduced democratic reforms when he took office in 1992.



Packed streets: Protestors carry a poster of the city's leader Leung Chung-ying during a protest against his rule

The move outraged Beijing which threatened to overturn any decisions when it took control and the ensuing crisis in UK-Sino relations caused the Hong Kong stock market to crash.



Though Patten’s reforms fell short of universal suffrage, elections of some Legislative Council members took place in 1995 - and many Hong Kongers now say life was more progressive under UK-rule.



‘We are now banned from “walking” 15 years after returning to Chinese rule,’ said one of yesterday’s march organisers, Albert Chan Wai-yip.



About 1,000 police were deployed following scuffles over the weekend at a pro-government rally that saw two journalists assaulted.



Hong Kong’s leaders are chosen by an exclusive 1,200 electoral college of mostly pro-Beijing elites, and then must be approved by Beijing, which nominates contenders.



In a bid to tackle discontent, Mr Leung last year banned mainland Chinese women from giving birth in Hong Kong in an attempt to secure residence rights for their children.



He has also introduced policies to prioritise housing for locals - a move which analysts say was a reaction to mainland buyers pushing up prices in one of the world’s most expensive property markets.



A half million strong anti-government rally in 2003 later forced former leader Tung Chee-hwa from office mid-term.

Masked protest: Hundreds of police blocked protesters marching to the symbolic former Legislative Council Building

Clear message: Protestors chanted ¿Give us universal suffrage now¿ and ¿Step down, Leung¿



