The Pulse：July 1st March and Protests

We're devoting the whole of this week's show to -- what else? -- the July 1st March and the ensuing overnight protests. Pro-Beijing forces seem to be simultaneously trying to play down the event and the reasons for it, while at the same time suggesting it is the beginning of the end of the world. But the evidence of photographs, videotape, and people's own eyes, the same evidence that travelled around the world's news organisations, makes it clear there is a lot of dissatisfaction out there. This week's march was at the very least the largest since the 2003 anti-subversion laws protest, and -- as usual covered a variety of concerns. But overall, it was about Hong Kong's freedoms and perceived threats to them. The protesters' determination had been fuelled by the administration's evident unwillingness to compromise on electoral reform, by clear attempts to interfere with the unofficial referendum on the Chief Executive election, and by the Chinese government's White Paper that -- for many -- stressed the subservience of Hong Kong's system to the rule of the Central Authorities.

As part one of the programme showed, the five, 92,000, 170,000 or half a million protesters that came out on Tuesday were of all ages and came from all walks of life. Once night began to fall, another part of the demonstration, led by the Federation of Students, stayed in Chater Road overnight as a rehearsal for Occupy Central, vowing to leave at eight in the morning. Meanwhile, the Scholarism group headed to the Chief Executive's office ain the hope of some kind of communication with him when he turned up to work.