Hong Kong activist seeks U.S. support for pro-democracy protests

Hong Kong's pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong attends a panel discussion on Anti-Extradition Law Movement in Hong Kong at Columbia University Law School in New York City, U.S., September 13, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong said on Saturday he was seeking the support of U.S. lawmakers for the demands of his fellow protesters who have led months of streets demonstrations, including a call for free elections.

Wong, who spoke to Reuters in New York ahead of a planned visit to Washington, led Hong Kong's pro-democracy "Umbrella Movement" in 2014. The latest protests, which began over a now-withdrawn extradition bill but grew into demands for greater democracy and independence from mainland China, are mostly leaderless.