'Goose Step' March At May 4 Flag-raising Ceremony

Political leaders including Chief Executive Carrie Lam and Beijing's top official in Hong Kong, Wang Zhimin, joined a flag-raising ceremony in Wan Chai on Saturday to mark the centenary of the May 4 student protest movement.

The movement, which began with students protesting against imperialism, weak government and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles that ended the first world war, is considered a key turning point in the history of 20th Century China.

But some uniformed groups participating in Saturday's ceremony risked controversy after adopting the style of marching usually practised by the People's Liberation Army, rather than the traditional British-influenced steps more often seen in Hong Kong.

A student representative from the Association of Hong Kong Flag Guards said the Chinese style of marching was more suitable for this particular ceremony. The organiser had reportedly "encouraged" the uniformed groups to do the so-called "goose-step" march.

Reports last year said Beijing's liaison office in the SAR was urging youth groups to switch to PLA-style marching. The office denied doing so, but said it had offered help to groups that wanted to change styles.