Fear of protracted protests grips Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s prosperity as a financial and asset management centre is thought to be at risk only if recent pro-democracy protests in the city become protracted, industry participants have told AsianInvestor. It comes after thousands of demonstrators rallied from the early hours of Sunday morning under the banner of Occupy Central, a civil disobedience campaign pushing for universal suffrage in Hong Kong. The protests began peacefully enough led by students, but escalated (see accom…