In Hong Kong, public grief over queen doubles as dissent

By ZEN SOO and ALICE FUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — Hundreds of Hong Kong residents are lining up in front of the British Consulate General for hours each day to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, leaving piles of flowers and handwritten notes. The collective outpouring of grief is perhaps the most ardent among the former British colonies, where most mourning has been somewhat muted. The public display of emotion is seen by some experts as a form of dissent against increasingly intrusive controls by communist-ruled Beijing, which took over the territory in 1997. Some Hong Kongers are nostalgic for what they view as a past “golden age” under British rule.