Father threatens to jump from bridge in protest at Occupy Central sit-in

[Ridgewalkers]

Father threatens to jump from bridge in protest at Occupy Central sit-in

Man persuaded to climb down from bridge after protesting that his children can't get to school

PUBLISHED : Monday, 06 October, 2014, 5:31am
UPDATED : Monday, 06 October, 2014, 5:31am

Samuel Chan [email protected]

The father-of-three sits on top of the bridge running above occupied Harcourt Road, where fire officers placed an air cushion in case he jumped. Photo: Sam Tsang

A father-of-three threatened yesterday to jump from a bridge over Harcourt Road, Admiralty - not for democracy, but because his children were unable to go to school last week.

The man, who appeared to be in his 30s, provoked laughs from the otherwise peaceful crowd during the near five-hour stand-off at the stronghold of the civil disobedience movement.

He struggled to turn on a loudspeaker that he had just removed from its packaging, and had to read the instruction manual while sitting on the edge of the bridge linking the Admiralty Centre with Citic Tower.

A police negotiator handed him another loudspeaker.

Asked if he was paid to create what many at the scene saw as a clown show, the man, who gave only his surname, Yip, said: "I am only a father of three.

"I am neither for or against [Occupy]. All I want is for my children to go to school and learn what true democracy is."

The commotion triggered the deployment of firefighters at the bridge. Two air mattresses were placed underneath, while six Fire Services Department vehicles, including two fire engines, were on standby.

Bystanders applauded when he finally took the hand of one of three police negotiators at about 5.50pm and came down under police escort.

In the past week, all schools in Wan Chai and Central and Western districts cancelled classes under Education Bureau orders.

During the time he was up on the bridge, the angry Yip made repeated requests to talk to student leaders Alex Chow Yong-kang and Joshua Wong Chi-fung.

"Chow Yong-kang, tell us when we can have our roads back!" he bellowed.

He also claimed to have worked for a television broadcaster before, and asked television news crews below to broadcast live a message he had for the Occupy leaders.

"I won't go until CNN or the BBC is live here," he said.

After the saga ended, Chow said they had followed police advice and talked to him. "We had been advised to stay away from the ground in front of him and to wait until negotiators had convinced him to come down before we could have an open dialogue," he said.

Earlier in Mong Kok, a couple showed romance was not dead, despite the threats of triads and tussles hanging over the sit-in. Protester Yau Chi-hang, 22, got down on his knees and proposed to Crystal Chan to wild applause from the crowds. Their celebratory meal? A fish fillet burger.