Confrontation continues after protesters accepted talks

Hong Kong protests found a way to resolve the situation as the protesters and the government agreed dramatically to resume talks early Friday morning. They were close to a physical confrontation before the agreement. Tension remains as some hardliners surround government offices, however.

Early morning on Friday, protesters accepted Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung’s proposal for talks that was proposed the previous night. The Hong Kong Federation of Students announced a statement that it would participate in talks with the government with a focus on political reform. The civic group Occupy Central also said it hoped dialogue would provide a turning point in the current stalemate.

After accepting the talks, the protesters continued maintaining a barricade in key regions including government offices. With government employees being unable to enter their offices, the Hong Kong government temporarily shut down their offices and ordered civil servants to telecommute.

These pro-democracy protests, which are in their sixth day since September 28, have toned down owing to the agreement for dialogue. Yet the protesters say they will keep up with demonstrations if their initial target of Chinese authorities not vetting Hong Kong election candidates is not reached. Through an editorial of the state-run media for the second consecutive day on Friday, the Chinese government censured the protesters and said it would not give way.