SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of overseas Chinese held a peaceful rally at Union Square in downtown San Francisco Sunday to support Hong Kong as an indisputable part of China and oppose the violence committed by the rioters in the Chinese special administrative region over the past few weeks.
The participants, mostly young people including students, white-collar workers, and business owners, came from different parts of the Bay Area to express their patriotism and zero tolerance of violence by radical protesters in Hong Kong.
Vivian Liu, a designer with a wedding company here said her grandfather was a veteran of China's anti-Japanese war over 70 years ago, but "he had cherished a strong feeling of patriotism even after he lived in the United States for many years."
"My grandfather passed on the spirit of patriotism to me, which should be carried on to the generations to come," she added.
Any attempt by some extremists in Hong Kong to promote so-called "Hong Kong Independence" must be opposed, Liu told Xinhua.
Adel Zhang, a 23-year-old graduate student majoring in graphic design at San Francisco Academy of Art University, said the new generation of young Chinese like her have grown up with a strong desire for all Chinese to be united.
"We must have the voice of us young people heard by the world that we do not tolerate any separation of China as a country and nation, and we must adhere to our own position firmly," she said.
Wang Zhonghan, a student at City College of San Francisco, echoed Zhang's remarks, saying she was indignant over the violent crimes perpetrated by radical protesters in Hong Kong.
"As a Chinese living outside of China, we have the obligation to come forward to support our own country when those people with ulterior motives are launching a smear campaign against China," she said.
Wang Lulu, a sales representative with a tech company based in San Francisco, told Xinhua that she was born and grew up in China and wanted to make things right when "some people unfairly blamed my home country with separatist statements."
"We love China, and we love China's Hong Kong," she said.
Chino Yang, a Chinese American rapper, who is also one of the sponsors of the rally, said all Chinese people across the world, especially in the Bay Area, should come together to let people know exactly what's going on in Hong Kong.
"The whole truth about Hong Kong has been twisted by Western media and what they were doing is just making biased and prejudiced accounts about what's really happening in Hong Kong," he said.
"How could there be justice when violence is what is exercised, and how could there be freedom when law and order is compromised," Yang said of the unlawful behaviors of radical demonstrators in Hong Kong.
"I encourage everyone who has never been to China to go there to experience it yourself instead of being blindfolded or brainwashed by certain media, because you have to see it and to believe it," Yang said.
Yang led the demonstrators in singing the Chinese national anthem and other pop songs to voice their strong support for China as well as opposition to the violent acts that have undermined peace and stability in Hong Kong.
"Peace and love for Hong Kong," he chanted excitedly.
The rally proceeded peacefully and ended late Sunday without incident. The participants left Union Square plaza, leaving it as clean as it was before.
