Pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong will start bigger demonstrations and will launch a wide-ranging campaign for mass civil disobedience, after Beijing dashed their hopes of democratically electing the next Hong Kong Chief Executive in 2017.

Groups allied with Occupy Central started gathering Sunday afternoon next to the Hong Kong government complex in anticipation of the announcement by China's Nationalist People's Congress Standing Committee, which early on was expected to reject demands for an open choice of candidates.

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According to the committee's decision, announced at a news conference in Beijing, candidates can enter the ballot only after having obtained the support of over 50% of the members of a 1,200-member committee that is likely to be loyal to Beijing. The Standing Committee insisted that this procedure constitutes "institutional safeguards" for ensuring Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability, and upholding the whole country's sovereignty, security and development interests.

Pro-democracy activitists reacted with disappointment and frustration, saying the decision leaves them with no room to fight for a genuinely democratic system.

"We will begin our campaign for peaceful, non-violent struggle," said Joseph Cheng, convenor of the Alliance for True Democracy, an organization of groups campaigning for universal suffrage in Hong Kong.

Speaking to Reuters, Cheng said, "We want to tell the world we haven't given up. We will continue to fight."

Other pro-democracy campaigners assailed Beijing for making a mockery of the "one person, one vote" principle that have been promised  to Hong Kong in earlier statements by the central government.

"After having lied to Hong Kong people for so many years, it finally revealed itself today," said Alan Leong, a pro-democracy legislator. "Hong Kong people are right to feel betrayed." Leong said the decision is no different from Beijing having the power to appoint Hong Kong's chief executive.

As police beefed up security and erected barricades along avenues near the government complex Sunday night, hundreds of people sat banging pots and plastic containers and cheered the speakers who promised to continue fighting for democracy.

Benny Tai, one of the organizers of Occupy Central, said, "Hong Kong is now entering a new era-a new era of resistance."

"We are no longer willing to be docile subjects," Benny Tai, a co-founder of Occupy Central and a law lecturer at the University of Hong Kong, told the crowd. "Our hope is that people gathered here will be dauntless civil resisters."

arlier, on Friday, Hong Kong media reported a column of tanks and military vehicles of China' People's Liberation Army traversing the commercial district. None of these were visible Sunday up to early morning Monday, as activist groups gear  up for new demonstrations and as student groups call for a boycott of classes in protest over Beijing's actions. 

TagsHong Kong, Nationalist People's Congress