After years of attacking government policies and demanding universal suffrage, the Democratic Party has come under attack itself for the first time from protesters in the annual July 1 march, which it helped to organise.
The party and its ailing co-founder Szeto Wah - who turned out in a wheelchair under blazing sun despite fighting late-stage lung cancer - were subjected to verbal abuse and got into a minor scuffle with protesters lashing out at the party for backing the government's political reforms.
Placards, banners, stickers and T-shirts criticising the party were distributed to people at the starting point of the rally in Victoria Park. When party members gathered at the park half an hour before the march started, protesters chanted: 'Shame on you, Democratic Party, for selling out Hong Kong people'.
Others spread ritual paper money in front of Szeto in a symbolic act of condemnation.
Szeto remained calm as he responded: 'Selling out? How much have I gained? Please say what you are accusing us of selling?'
The party veteran, who left the rally in Causeway Bay after a short time for a rest, said he hoped his accusers 'can learn more about the issue before making such accusations'.
