Hong kong: Hong Kong civil servants and supporters crowded into a public park on Friday to join a pro-democracy movement that China's top diplomat accused Western nations of provoking. Several thousand joined the rally for government workers in solidarity with protesters who have called for greater rights and government accountability over the past two months.

As rain hit the umbrella-ready crowd, attendees dispersed willingly, avoiding the police clashes that have increasingly beleaguered demonstrations. "As civil servants, if we don't stand up, that means we are disloyal," said KH Wu, a retiree who worked for the government's Census Department for 40 years. "Our loyalties are not to a particular government, but to the people."