China Compares Hong Kong Democrats to Mao-Era ‘Gang of Four’
- Media singles out publisher Lai, Democratic Party founder Lee
- Beijing struggles to manage leaderless protest movement
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Four senior Hong Kong democrats have found themselves labeled by Chinese state media as a new “Gang of Four,” as Beijing seeks to assign blame for the largely leaderless protest movement rocking the city.
A string of state media editorials have compared the long-time opposition figures -- including former Chief Secretary Anson Chan, former Democratic Party chief Albert Ho, Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai and Democratic Party founder Martin Lee -- to the group of Mao Zedong allies prosecuted after his death in 1976. The media outlets carrying such pieces include the official publication of the Communist Party’s highest law enforcement body, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.