Thousands call for Hong Kong’s leader to resign

Thousands protested against Hong Kong’s leader Leung Chun-ying as pressure mounts against the Beijing-backed politician who has been embroiled in an illegal construction scandal since taking office in July.

Thronging the streets on New Year’s Day, crowds of people, some dressed in black with colourful banners and wearing long-nosed Pinocchio masks, chanted “Leung Chun-ying step down” in a rally that snaked several kilometres towards government headquarters.

While Hong Kong is a largely stable financial hub with a strong rule of law, the political heat has risen over Leung’s failure to adequately explain seemingly innocuous building work on his home, corroding public trust and raising suspicions he may have covered up the scandal last year as he campaigned for the leadership.