Hong Kong Democracy Backers Win Big as Voters Flock to Polls
A surge in voting, especially by young people, allowed democracy advocates to win many more seats on local councils.
By Keith Bradsher, Austin Ramzy and Tiffany May
Nov. 24, 2019, 1:14 p.m. ET
HONG KONG — Pro-democracy candidates buoyed by months of street protests in Hong Kong were headed to a stunning victory in local elections on Sunday, as record numbers voted in a vivid expression of the city’s aspirations and its anger with the Chinese government.
It was a pointed rebuke for Beijing and its allies in Hong Kong, and the turnout — nearly seven in 10 eligible voters — suggested that the public continues to back the democracy movement, even as the protests have grown increasingly violent. The surge was driven especially by young voters, a major force behind the demonstrations of the past six months.
With three million voters casting ballots, pro-democracy parties captured at least 216 of 452 elected seats, up from 124, and perhaps many more, according to early official results.
To many democracy advocates, Sunday was a turning point for the movement.
“There has been a very deep awakening of the Hong Kong people,” said Alan Leong, chairman of the Civic Party, one of the largest pro-democracy parties.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/24/world/asia/hong-kong-election-results.html?campaign_id=60&instance_id=0&segment_id=19066&user_id=75ee940ebe2fd3e9d0a6bb93cf283302®i_id=16112385ing-news
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