A group of Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists today made a vain bid to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping to highlight their demand for free election when he arrived in Macau, a former Portuguese colony.
The activists were turned back by Macau authorities when they arrived in the gambling hub in an attempt to put their case for universal suffrage before Xi, who reached the city on a two-day visit to attend the 15th anniversary of handing over of the territory to China.
This is the second time the protesters, who demand the repeal of a clause passed by Chinese legislature to screen candidates taking part in the election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in the 2017 elections, were prevented from meeting the Chinese leadership, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Earlier they were not allowed to travel to Beijing to meet the Chinese leadership and covey their concerns about the clause to vet candidates.
Chinese government has already rejected the demand.
Thousands of people, mostly students, occupied key streets in Hong Kong for 75 days to press the demand for free polls. They lifted the seize a few days ago to redraw their plans for agitation.
Fourteen Hong Kong activists were stopped as they arrived at the city's Outer Harbour ferry terminal and were repatriated.
The activists, led by League of Social Democrats' chairman and lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, raised their yellow umbrellas in the Macau ferry pier.
When the activists returned to Hong Kong, they showed documents acknowledging they had been denied entry.
Some of them refused to sign the documents.
The documents state that they were denied entry because "strong evidence" showed they attempted to conduct activities that would threaten Macau's public safety.
"It's a regret that we couldn't express our views to Xi Jinping in Macau," Leung said adding that people were not allowed to carry umbrellas into ceremonial venues.
"I have never seen such a barbaric decision. It's really funny," he said.
Four Apple Daily reporters, who planned to cover Xi's visit to Macau, were also denied entry, the report said.
The rare protest at the Macau ferry pier was closely monitored and filmed by Macau officials.
The activists were quickly removed, with most of them not even getting a chance to show their identification cards to the immigration officers, said the report.
