An outspoken Australian parliamentarian on Monday branded the China's Communist Party "oppressive" after marching with protesters in Hong Kong.
A former Australian Human Rights commissioner, Tim Wilson of the Liberal party, said he has been inspired by the pro-democracy movement in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory, where protests against Beijing have continued for four months.
Wilson marched with the protesters on Sunday as they defied a new ban on face masks that was meant to deter rioting and calm the situation but has instead led to more anger. It was a rare public act of defiance from a prominent Australian politician toward Beijing over the issue.
The protest were sparked by a proposed law that would have allowed some criminal suspects to be sent from Hong Kong to mainland China for trial, but have since morphed into a larger anti-government movement.
Protesters are upset at what they say are Beijing's increasing influence over the former British colony, which was promised a level of autonomy when it was handed back to Chinese rule in 1997.
Wilson told ABC Radio on Monday that China's Communist Party was an "authoritative regime by nature and authoritative regimes are oppressive and that's why people are standing up for their future."