Festive parades and high-profile endorsements marked the opening weekend for the Sign for Universal Suffrage Movement, a city-wide campaign organized by the Alliance for Peace and Democracy to rally support for the government's proposals for the universal suffrage election in 2017.

On Hong Kong Island, a helicopter flew over a cheering crowd at a rally hosted by the Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community Organizations on Saturday afternoon. Apart from the sky parade, they also sent out boats to the Victoria Harbor to capture public attention for the campaign.

At Lam Tsuen, the rural community attracted media spotlight by paying tribute to its roots - hundreds of villagers and district councilors threw oranges at the famous wishing tree, hoping it would make lawmakers answer their wish to choose the city's leader in 2017.

Colorful parades and mass rallies made great photo opportunities, but success of the campaign nevertheless depends on how many people would walk up to one of the 900 booths and sign their names in person - online forms are no longer available in this petition.

Home Affairs Secretary Tsang Tak-sing made a public appeal at the Saturday rally, while National People's Congress deputies reached out to the people to ensure their views could be heard clear and loud. Lawmakers also stood for the campaign, despite their tight schedules on Mother's Day.

The all-out efforts on the frontline have paid off - over 360,000 Hong Kong people submitted their names over the weekend. The tally will very likely rise in the coming week as the petition will close next Sunday.

(HK Edition 05/11/2015 page8)