It was a referendum of the streets. More than 500,000 people braved the sweltering heat to join the anti-Article 23 march on July 1. In one of the largest displays of popular discontent and frustration in Hong Kong's history, people from all walks of life, all economic classes, men and women, young and old, able and disabled voiced their opposition not only to the proposed national security legislation, but to the very structure of governance itself. Their collective anger rang through the streets of Hong Kong Island with cries of "Sack Regina Ip", Hong Kong's Minister for Security and "Tung Chee-Hwa step down".

           Such was the positive, collective spirit that prevailed throughout the march, some local media were moved to sum up the event as "Hong Kong like we have rarely seen it before". Even though demonstrators were held up for hours under the hot sun in detour-routes as police struggled to manage the massive swells of people, there were rarely any signs of irritation.

           But most important of all, the marchers refused to go home. People came to be counted.

           Nor was the protest and discontent with the government limited to those on the march itself. On a day when the Observatory issued a 'Very Hot Weather' warning and march organisers called for participants to dress in black, restaurant staff set up tables in the streets to offer free bottled water and tissues to marchers. On a day when no vehicle could move on the four kilometre protest route stretch between Central and Causeway Bay, passengers stuck for hours on public transport held anti-government posters up to bus and tram windows to cheer on their fellow citizens.

           The spirit and unity of the day stood in stark contrast to the government's recent attempts to restore public confidence following the SARS outbreak. Indeed, who is Tung Chee-hwa to declare 'Operation Unite' the government's futile answer to mass discontent and political crisis? The people of Hong Kong were certainly united on July 1, but it was in opposition to his government rather than at its behest.

           The government's responses to July 1st demo and follow up protests since have been marked by a growing sense of desperation, even paranoia. Demonstrators, we are told, "do not understand" the law, or "had been misled" into believing lies. A political crisis has followed Liberal Party leader's James Tien's resignation which, due to the balance of seats in the Legislative Council, left Tung with little choice but to back-off from a second vote on Article 23 legislation and announce a delay in the legislation.

           Underlying the government responses is a fear of democracy, or more specifically, fear of the ordinary working people of Hong Kong. Our rights and welfare have been sacrificed in favour of the interests of political and economic elites ever since British colonialists arrived here 150 years ago. It is time for a genuine change.

           It appears that the government has realised it can no longer ignore the people of Hong Kong and expect to survive. But more importantly, the people of Hong Kong have lit the torch of democracy and carried it through the streets. The logical, legitimate step forward is to transform that democratic spirit into democratic political reform, however distasteful and frightening that may seem to Mr. Tung and his friends.