As Hong Kong welcomes Xi Jinping during his first visit as Chinese president, HKFP presents a guide to the events marking 20 years since the Handover.
A protest march to demand the immediate release of Chinese activists Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia, and justice for victims of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, will be held on Friday.
Organisers are urging Beijing to stop harassing, monitoring and punishing Chinese human rights advocates, human rights lawyers and political prisoners.
Venue: Hong Kong Family Planning Association, 130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai.
The Civil Human Rights Front will also host an assembly calling on the release Liu and the investigation of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying over a controversial HK$50 million payment he received from Australian firm UGL.
Venue: Telecom House, 3 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai.
Political party People’s Power and several civil society groups will be mourning the “fall of Hong Kong.” They will also protest against government spending on infrastructure projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
Location: Great George Street, Causeway Bay.
The pro-independence Hong Kong National Party will host a rally on Friday. They claim that this week is not a time to mark a return to China, but an anniversary to mark “the fall of Hong Kong into Chinese hands” as it became another colony.
“In just 20 years, the Royal Hong Kong Police became Civil Servant Triads. In just 20 years, the Rule of Law became the Rule of Cronies. In just 20 years, the Freemen of Hong Kong became the Slaves of China,” it said.
Venue: Near the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry pier clock tower.
There will be a “Leaving Drinks for 689” party on Friday – “689” being the nickname of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. Leung is set to leave office on July 1.
“CY Leung’s policies on housing, poverty, elderly care, marriage equality and environmental protection achieved so much during his 5 years in office. Let’s give him a nice goodbye!” the organisers said on its Facebook event page.
It was called after pro-democracy activists arrested on Wednesday for occupying the Golden Bauhinia statue were held by police for more than 24 hours. Their lawyers applied for a habeas corpus order shortly before the activists were released on bail. However, the League has not cancelled the protest.
Venue: Family Planning Association clinic, near Wan Chai MTR exit B2.
“President Xi, Do You Hear The People Sing?” – A musical protest event organised by pro-democracy business figure Ed Chin will be held ahead of Saturday’s pro-democracy rally.
Venue: In front of Central Library (opposite Victoria Park).
Organisers said they will display pro-independence flags in defiance of China.
Venue: Canal Road, Causeway Bay.
The Hong Kong-UK Reunification Campaign will host a rally celebrating “the 199th anniversary of the British extension to the New Territories” on July 1, 1898.
They will also join the annual July 1 march later on that day after the event and move forward to the British Consulate General Hong Kong to “protest against the Chinese outrageously breached the Sino-British Joint Declaration” and urge the UK to resume British sovereignty over Hong Kong.
Venue: Queen Victoria Statue, Victoria Park, Causeway Bay.
The Civil Human Rights Front will host the annual pro-democracy march on Saturday. The government has granted permission to pro-Beijing groups to use the football pitches at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay – therefore, the starting point this year will be the lawn area of the park.
Venue: Victoria Park lawn, Causeway Bay.
There will be two screenings of the film The Final Night of the Royal Hong Kong Police, a film released in 2002 but which had limited showings at cinemas until its rediscovery in recent years.
Venue: The Venue, 5 Ki Lung Street, Sham Shui Po.
Venue: Yue Wan Community Hall, Chai Wan.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club will open its doors to show a video montage of the 1997 Handover Day. There will be a wall exhibition displaying photos from 1997, and a ceremonial piper to mark the 20 year anniversary.
Venue: Foreign Correspondents’ Club, North Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central.
Students announcing July 1 forum. Photo: HKU Undergrad Instant News.
Student unions at 13 universities and tertiary education institutions have said they will be not attend the July 1 march. They will instead host a forum on Saturday evening.
“In fact, to blindly put faith in the Basic Law and One Country, Two Systems is not different from deceiving oneself and wasting one’s own precious time to emancipate ourselves from re-colonisation,” they said in a statement.
No details on the time and venues have yet been announced.
The pro-Beijing Hong Kong Celebration Association will host a Chinese technology exhibition at Victoria Park to showcase items such as rockets.
Date: Friday, June 29 until Sunday, July 2.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Hong Kong, there will be a banquet in his honour. Whilst pro-Beijing camp lawmakers were invited, only some of the pro-democracy camp lawmakers received invitations.
Venue: Grand ballroom, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Wan Chai.
Xi Jinping. File photo: US Gov.
There will be a “Grand Variety Show in Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Hong Kong’s Return to the Motherland” hosted by the government, which will be live broadcast on television.
Venue: Hall 5, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.
On July 1, there will be the annual fireworks show at Victoria Harbour.
For more celebration events, see the government’s official website.