Vigil Organisers Brush Off Threat Of Showers

The organisers of the candlelight vigil at Victoria Park said they expected people to turn out in large numbers on Monday evening despite the threat of rain.

The Observatory had forecast that the weather would be cloudy with showers and a few squally thunderstorms.

Lee Cheuk-yan, the secretary of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, said he was not too worried that the unstable weather would put people off.

"I have confidence in the people of Hong Kong," he said. "In past candlelight vigils, several of them [were held under] heavy, heavy rain. And still people turned out."

He said it is a very moving sight to see the people of Hong Kong protecting their candles from heavy rain as they take part in the protest.

The vigil is being held amid fears that anyone who calls for an end to one-party rule on the mainland risks being banned from running for elections in Hong Kong. The slogan is frequently chanted at the annual event.

Lee said they will continue to make the demand as authoritarianism is harming both Hong Kong and the mainland.