Man threatens to jump off bridge at Hong Kong protest site

A man standing on top of a bridge overlooking a pro-democracy protest area threatens to jump, near the central government offices in Hong Kong on October 5, 2014. AFP

HONG KONG—A man threatened to jump from an overhead pedestrian walkway in the middle of a Hong Kong protest site on Sunday, saying he was angry his children’s schools had been shut by the demonstrations.

The man, who said his surname was Yau, scaled the covered bridge in the city’s Admiralty district — the epicenter of the protests — and berated protesters for five hours, at one point brandishing a knife.

“Give the road back to Hong Kong’s parents so kids can go back to school,” he shouted to crowds assembled below, according to an AFP reporter.

“I’m not supporting the government, I’m representing parents asking you when you will clear the road,” he added. “I’ve got three children at home.”

The walkway links Hong Kong’s besieged government offices and a shopping center, and allows pedestrians to cross what is ordinarily a busy highway.

For the last week the road has become a home from home for thousands of pro-democracy protesters, who hold rallies, eat and sleep in the area, paralyzing traffic and causing schools to close.

The man had said he would not move until he was live on CNN and the BBC and demanded an audience with student leaders Joshua Wong and Alex Chow, threatening to jump if his requests were not granted.

The liberal Apple Daily claimed he was a professional stuntman hired to disrupt the democracy protests.

Angry opponents have clashed with protesters since Friday in satellite protest sites located in two shopping districts, tearing down their tents and barricades, while shop owners have complained they are losing business as the city remains at a standstill.

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