On June 30, 2014, the state sponsored Global Times published an editorial entitled “Pushing Confrontation Not in HK’s Interest.” An excerpt:
Hong Kong's unofficial referendum on universal suffrage, organized by protest group Occupy Central, ended yesterday. Organizers claimed about 780,000 people voted, but that figure has raised doubt. Tomorrow is July 1, the date when Hong Kong was returned to China 17 years ago. Protest groups called on voters to demonstrate on that day and impose pressure on the central government.These screenshots show that on July 1, 2014, Baidu began censoring search results for “7 1 Big March.” (七一大游行)
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If any Hongkongers insist that the central government is aiming to crack down on freedom of speech and democracy, and that only protests can safeguard Hong Kong's future, they should get rid of such a mentality.