China has the Great Hall of the People. Hong Kong has the "Great Hall of the Tycoons" — a phrase uttered by Briton David Webb on Oct. 11 as he addressed a crowd of demonstrators in Hong Kong.
Webb, a shareholder-rights activist who has earned the enmity of Hong Kong's powerful oligarchs, cut right to the heart of things in his rousing speech.
"The government claims to believe in free markets and competition, but where is the free market in leadership?" Webb asked, perched atop a ladder. "Don't worry about the small economic impact of these protests," he added. "Think about the large economic benefits of a more dynamic economy, ending collusion between the government and the tycoons who currently elect the chief executive."