Budget 2025: Hong Kong opposition party calls off traditional demo at gov’t HQ citing ‘immense pressure’
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong opposition party the League of Social Democrats has called off a protest outside government headquarters ahead of the annual budget speech, citing “immense pressure,” without giving further details.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan is due to deliver his annual budget speech at 11am and is expected to announce measures that address Hong Kong’s huge fiscal deficits.
The League of Social Democrats (LSD), one of the last remaining opposition parties in Hong Kong, said late Tuesday night that it was calling off its traditional pre-Budget protest scheduled for 9am on Wednesday.
Vice-chair Dickson Chau declined to elaborate on the kind of pressure when contacted by HKFP on Wednesday morning.
The LSD instead issued a statement outlining its appeals to the authorities given the prospect of an annual deficit for a third year, with Chan earlier estimating that to be “close to HK$100 billion.”
It called on authorities to be “open to criticism,” so that a “free Hong Kong could bring back migrants and investment.” They also urged the government to implement democratic reform.
The LSD also suggested a 20 per cent pay cut for Chief Executive John Lee, principal officials, the entire civil service, as well as for lawmakers. They urged the scrapping of the mega development plan in the Northern Metropolis and the artificial islands plan around Lantau Island.
Since Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong in 2020, dozens of political and civil society groups have dissolved. The pro-democracy Civic Party, then the city’s second-largest opposition party in the legislature, officially folded in March 2024.
The Democratic Party – founded in 1994 – earlier announced it will begin the process of shutting down with a special taskforce leading the preparation works, but an official disbandment still has to go through a vote by party members.
The LSD was able to protest outside government headquarters ahead of the budget speech last year as well as before the policy address last October.
HKFP has contacted the police for comment.
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