Financial workers stage flash mob, vow to join Monday strike

Thousands of workers from the financial sector braved intermittent rain to stage a brief rally at Chater Garden in Central on Thursday night to press demands for an independent inquiry into recent violent incidents arising from the extradition bill saga.

The "flash mob", composed mostly of men and women in office suits, transformed the area fronting the HSBC and Standard Chartered buildings into a sea of umbrellas as they chanted "Hongkongers, keep going!", "Shame on you, corrupt cops!" and "Hongkongers, go on strike!"

An anonymous organizer of the protest estimated the crowd at 4,300, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reported.

The rally was part of the build-up to a citywide industrial action scheduled for Monday, when workers from various sectors, including civil servants, MTR train captains and office employees, are expected to leave their work for the day to assail the government's continued refusal to act on the people's demands.

The rally at Chater Garden started around 7:30 p.m. and lasted about 15 minutes, after which the crowd began to disperse. Several dozen demonstrators proceeded to the International Finance Centre to urge people to join Monday's strike.

A financial sales manager who took part in the “flash mob” slammed the government, which he said not only continued to turn a deaf ear to the people’s demands but also sought to quell the escalating protests against the extradition bill.

He said it was good to see that people from the financial industry have finally joined the anti-extradition bill movement. "Better late than never," he added.

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TL/JC/CG