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Thousands Attend Service for Hong Kong Student Who Died During Clashes

Agence France-Presse

   HONG KONG - Thousands of Hong Kongers formed long lines to attend a
   memorial service on Thursday for a student whose death led to some of
   the most violent clashes in six months of democracy protests.

   Alex Chow, 22, died last month from head injuries sustained during a
   fall inside a multi-storey carpark where police and protesters were
   clashing.

   Although the precise chain of events leading to his fatal accident is
   unclear and disputed, protesters have made alleged police brutality one
   of their movement's rallying cries.

   Chow's death was followed three days later by police shooting an
   unarmed 21-year-old protester in the abdomen sparking days of political
   unrest that culminated in pitched battles on university campuses.

   The last three weeks have seen a rare lull in the violence and
   vandalism after pro-democracy parties won a landslide in local council
   elections.

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