TENS of thousands of Hong Kong residents joined a march through the former British colony today to push China to agree on democratic change.

July 1 is a public holiday to celebrate the official decolonisation of Hong Kong in 1997 and it has become an annual day of protest. 

The focal point for anger this year was a white paper released last month by the Chinese cabinet which noted that Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy was not inherent but was authorised by central government.

A small group of protesters burned a copy of the white paper before the march, outside a ceremony attended by officials.

Police said that 98,600 people had joined the rally while organisers insisted that 510,000 had taken part.

They had hoped to surpass the 500,000 said to have turned out in 2003 for the city’s biggest-ever demonstration — to protest against a planned anti-subversion law.

Peaceful crowds carrying banners and posters urging democracy filled half of a broad boulevard as they marched in sweltering heat and occasional rain through skyscraper-lined streets to the financial district. 

Thousands of police kept watch and ordered the city’s trolleybuses to shut down along the boulevard to reduce overcrowding.

Some protesters chanted: “Our own government, our own choice,” while others demanded the resignation of the city’s chief executive Leung Chunying.

Some groups along the protest route sang a Cantonese song based on Can you hear the people sing? from Les Miserables.