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HONG KONG

A massive protest was held in Hong Kong demanding -action against the rising air pollution level. People wearing gas masks and holding placards proclaiming "Diesel is deadly" and "Government, act now" marched from central Hong Kong to Causeway Bay, one of the most polluted areas of the city. "We want to make sure that cleaning up the air gets top priority," said Chiristine Loh, a member of the environmental group, Clear the Air.

The people of Hong Kong fear that unless radical action is taken, Hong Kong could join the ranks of the world's most polluted cities like Bangkok and Mexico City. Air pollution levels have reached such a high that the government has been forced to put up signs outlining the hazards of pollution like asthma and heart and lung diseases. One of the demonstrators, Victor Lau, a chemical engineer said: "I have asthma and the doctors told me to go to places with cleaner air. But I am from Hong Kong, so where do I go?"

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