Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters return to streets

In Hong Kong, thousands of pro-democracy protesters returned to the streets for the first mass demonstration since they shut down parts of the city late last year, demanding full democracy in the former British colony. Organizers said the protest yesterday was intended to be peaceful and not a repeat of the so called Occupy Central campaign, in which demonstrators shut down key streets for two and half months beginning in late September. Thousands of police personnel monitored the march, but there were no reports of disturbances or arrests. Authorities cleared protest camps in December without granting the demonstrators any concessions. The protesters are demanding Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to resign and Beijing reverse its decision to screen candidates for the territory's 2017 election.