A Hong Kong resident waves the Chinese national flag on Wednesday, a day that marks the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China in 1997. Photo: AFP

The low turnout in the first major rally after the end of last year's Occupy Central protests proves that Hong Kong society has grown impatient with political confrontations in the city, lawmakers and analysts said. More than 6,000 people joined the annual July 1 March on Wednesday as the city commemorates the 18th anniversary of its return to China. At its peak, the rally attracted 19,650 people,  police said Wednesday.

Scuffles broke out before the rally began when pan-democratic lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, also known as Long Hair, staged a rally outside the Golden Bauhinia Square during the flag-raising ceremony. One activist, Koo Sze-yiu, burned a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region flag. The group of about 10 protesters was later arrested.  But the rally remained largely peaceful.

Daisy Chan, one of the conveners of the rally organizer, the Civil Human Rights Front, admitted that the number was lower than expected but insisted that the protest remained relevant.

Growing impatient

"After the political reform proposal was vetoed last month, the Hong Kong people did not have a compelling reason to join the protest anymore. Many people have also grown impatient with the overflow of political struggles these years," said Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of the National Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies.

Speaking at a ceremony on Wednesday morning to mark the handover anniversary, Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying criticized the lawmakers who rejected the government's political reform proposal for poor judgment, saying that last year's 79-day Occupy Central protest had threatened social order and the rule of law, reported broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong.

Leung also called on the city to rebuild Hong Kong's economy after the political turmoil.

The July 1 protest, after attendance peaked in 2003 when half a million people joined a rally against the SAR government's attempt to implement a National Security Ordinance, has become an annual event for various advocacy groups to voice their demands.

Lau believes that following the failure of the Occupy protest to achieve its goal, mass protests have lost their appeal to young people, and have been replaced by more scattered and radical forms of ad hoc protests.

"The opposition parties have become disoriented and disorganized after they voted down the electoral reform proposal. Without a clear agenda, it will be hard for opposition parties to summon large-scale support from the public in the short term," Lau noted.

Lawmaker Priscilla Leung Mei-fun said she believes that the protest has become an annual "ritual" which has proven to be a failure in leading Hong Kong forward. She added that the demand raised by protesters, such as amending the Basic Law, are also unrealistic.

Time to move on

Meanwhile, over 1,000 retail shops and restaurants offered sales or discounts to celebrate the handover anniversary which were warmly received by both locals and tourists.

"We have wasted too much time on political disputes which have split Hong Kong society as well as its relations with the Chinese mainland," Leung noted. "It is time that we focus on developing the economy and people's livelihood. We should also revisit the true spirit of the 'One Country, Two Systems,' which upholds the high degree of autonomy, but never complete self-rule."

Lee Yuk-lun, chairman of the Hong Kong Commerce and Industry Associations and organizer of the discount program, agrees with Leung.

"Hong Kong's economy has been stalled by opposition lawmakers who consistently opposed the government's bill and administration," Lee told the Global Times.

"As long as the city's economic and social problems remain unresolved, the young people in Hong Kong, who have grown desperate over their uncertain future, will continue to be manipulated by radical opposition groups," he said.

Fan Lingzhi contributed to this story