HKU POP SITE releases a column article today discussing the influence on public inclination towards Article 23 Legislation brought by the July 1st DemonstrationBack

The "HKU POP SITE" (http://hkupop.pori.hk) of the Public Opinion Programme (POP) at the University of Hong Kong releases in its "POP Column" an article entitled "July 1 Protest Affirms Opposition as Mainstream" today. Written by Clement York-Kee So, Associate Professor of School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the article not only compared and analyzed the change of findings obtained in mid-June and early July regarding the public views on Article 23 legislation, it also discussed the proportions and socio-demographic characteristics of the people who were against continuing the legislative process on July 9. The article also analyzed the indication brought to Hong Kong by the "July 1st Demonstration".

Citing opinion data, the article pointed out that, after the big march on July 1, 77% of the respondents opposed passing the legislation on July 9, whereas only 10% supported the move. When compared to the corresponding figures of mid-June, more people have adopted the opposition side, their stand also becoming increasingly loud and clear. Results of cross-tabulation analysis also indicated that the anti-legislation camp was a broad and cross-class coalition, while among the less than 20% firm supporters of the legislation, many were older males, aged above 50, and with primary or below education. Besides, So pointed out that most of the people did indeed share a common view regarding the legislation, he called for the government and its coalition to listen to public opinion carefully, and "not try stupid acts like offering free meals and movie tickets to the citizens on July 1… to create false impression that the public is divided… They should never say again the public is "misled" as this only insults the intelligence of the people."

Please note that everything carried in the POP Site does not represent the stand of the University of Hong Kong. Dr Robert Ting-Yiu Chung, Director of Public Opinion Programme, is responsible for everything posted in the POP Site, except for column articles. The authors of the column articles are responsible for their own writings, while the translators are responsible for their own translations.