(Reuters) – Hong Kong pro-democracy protests that brought tens of thousands on to the streets last week dwindled to a few hundred on Wednesday after activist leaders agreed to talks with the government which are all but certain to go nowhere.
The student-led protests have calmed since clashes with police more than a week ago and the number of protesters calling for universal suffrage has fallen dramatically since violent scuffles broke out at the weekend between demonstrators and pro-Beijing opponents.
Friday’s talks will focus on “the basis for political development”, the government said, referring to plans for a 2017 election of the chief executive, Hong Kong’s leader, but it was unclear how discussions could reconcile two such polarized positions.
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