Small group of Taiwanese gathers in Taipei to sing songs in support of Hong Kong anti-government protesters – with more rallies planned

• Taiwanese supporters of Hong Kong protesters sing Glory to Hong Kong, the new anthem of local demonstrators, and a Cantonese version of Do You Hear the People Sing?

A small group of Taiwanese gathered in one of Taipei's most famous shopping districts on Sunday to sing songs in solidarity with the anti-government protesters who again took to the streets of Hong Kong.

About 10 people, dressed in black and with masks and yellow helmets, formed a chorus line in the Ximending area at 3pm. They held posters proclaiming "Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times".

They sang two songs, Glory to Hong Kong, the new anthem of local demonstrators, and a Cantonese version of Do You Hear the People Sing?, a popular protest song from the musical Les Miserables.

They also chanted slogans, including "Five key demands, not one less", "Hongkongers, add oil" and "Today's Hong Kong is tomorrow's Taiwan".

The group also chanted "Overthrow the Chinese Communist Party".

A similar event was held in Ximending on Friday for the Mid-Autumn Festival. More than 100 Hongkongers living in Taiwan gathered that night and sang songs supporting the protesters in Hong Kong.

Pro-democracy organisations, including the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy and the Taiwan Citizen Front, were planning a rally on the island on September 29 to show further support for the Hong Kong protest movement, according to Taiwanese media.

"Hong Kong is facing a long and hard journey and Hong Kong needs support from Taiwan and even the world," said one of the rally organisers, who was not named, in a press briefing.

The protests in Hong Kong were triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill that would have allowed fugitives to be sent to other jurisdictions, including mainland China. The bill was widely criticised in Taiwan.

The protests in Hong Kong, now entering their 15th week, have become the dominant topic in news programmes and everyday discussions on the self-ruled island.

In early September, the island's Mainland Affairs Council said Taiwan would never accept Beijing's "one country, two systems" political framework, and called on the Communist Party to "admit its mistakes and start political reforms, practise democracy and respect human rights".

The statement was a response to remarks by Sun Yafu, vice-president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, who had accused Taiwan of helping to plan and support the unrest in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong and Taiwan have long had close ties, given their geographic proximity and similar relationships with Beijing.

The island's human rights, civil society and NGO groups have held numerous events across to show support for Hong Kong's demonstrators since the protest broke out in June.

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of China that will be unified, by force if necessary. "One country, two systems" " the political framework that now applies in Hong Kong " is also the basis of Beijing's offer to unify with Taiwan.

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