The demonstrations, which started earlier this year with protests against a bill that the critics see as a threat to the area's self-government and civil rights. Since then, the demonstrations have grown in size and Sunday's demonstration, according to organizers, has gathered close to 1.7 million people.
SVT's Foreign Reporter Tilde Lewin met Hong Kong-based pop star and actor Denise Ho on Sunday. She is one of the few public figures who openly stand on the side of the demonstrators.
- Hong Kong has quite a few pop stars and it's a city with a lot of popular culture and music. But nobody except Denise Ho stood on the demonstrators' side and that's why she is very visible, said Tilde Lewin in the Morning Studio on Monday.
Denise Ho: "They spread fear"Denise Ho tells SVT that she thinks China's military police have already infiltrated the demonstrative, pro-democratic, movement.
- In recent weeks, they have constantly let us know that there are other than Hong Kong police here. Last week they used a very ugly method, they let us know that they placed secret agents among us Hong Kong residents, says Denise Ho, and continues:
- It is a method that the Communist Party often uses to subvert people. They spread fear in the crowd. But we Hong Kongers do not be intimidated. We stand up to this kind of totalitarianism.
Hong Kong police have been sharply criticized for their actions against the protesters. The massive demonstrations have been met by authorities with arrests, tear gas and rubber bullets. And during a press conference on July 29, the Chinese government expressed its full support for the Hong Kong police. At the same time, during the press conference, they blamed "irresponsible people" in countries in the west, which they believe would create problems in the city.