Hong Kong (AFP)
The French "Spiderman" Alain Robert climbed Friday morning a skyscraper in Hong Kong before deploying a "banner of peace", when the former British colony is experiencing its worst political crisis with almost daily demonstrations to demand more democracy.
The 57-year-old climber, who specialized in building climbing, climbed the 68-storey Cheung Kong Center in Central's financial district, while the weather was hot and humid.
During this ascent, he unfurled a banner depicting the combined Chinese and Hong Kong flags, as well as a handshake.
Before starting to climb the building, he issued a statement saying that the action was "an urgent call for consultations between Hong Kongers and their government".
"Maybe what I'm doing will bring down the temperature and make smiles, at least that's what I hope for," he said in a statement.
Hong Kong is since the beginning of June the scene of monster demonstrations, and sometimes violent.
The mobilization, which was born out of the rejection of a bill that aimed to authorize extradition to China, has considerably broadened its demands, demanding now including the advent of universal suffrage.
This movement is for the Hong Kong authorities and for Beijing the biggest challenge in the former British colony since its retrocession in 1997.
Mr. Robert has come to Hong Kong many times to climb his buildings. The city has the highest concentration of skyscrapers in the world.
He climbed the Cheung Kong Center twice
© 2019 AFP