Five hundred thousand people have taken part in one of the biggest demonstrations in Hong Kong’s history. <br /><br />They are angry over a recent warning from Beijing that it holds ultimate authority over the former British colony.<br /><br />The protesters want greater democracy in elections for the city’s leader, or chief executive, scheduled to take place in 2017.<br /><br />China only wants pro-Beijing candidates to run for election.<br /><br />Protesters want the vote open to everyone.<br /><br />“What we are doing tonight is telling the government that if they do not respond to our requests this is only the first step,” explained Chan Yin-man, a Chinese University of Hong Kong student. “The next step,” he said, “will be further action and in many other places.”<br /><br />The annual July 1 rally marks the day the territory was handed back from Britain to China in 1997.
