I expect there will be updates on this post through the afternoon.

It is another typical HK summer day: hot and humid. However the anticipated bad weather has not arrived and shouldn't impact the numbers turning up for the march. Interestingly this morning's SAR Handover ceremony was quiet, with Tung Che-hwa saying ""According to the Basic Law (Hong Kong's mini-constitution), to achieve universal suffrage gradually is our common goal." There were no major Chinese dignitaries, partly to avoid confronting this afternoon's protest and partly to keep the Mainland Chinese media away from HK today.

Some of the news services have lead-up articles:

Reuters: HK Readies for Huge Democracy March
Bloomberg: HK Protesters to Begin Pro-Democracy March at 3pm
Associated Press: HK rally expects big crowd
AFP: Tens of thousands expected at HK democracy rally
CNN: HK braces for massive protest

As a contrast the China papers:

China Daily: Flag ceremony kicks off SAR Birthday party
Xinhua: HK Post issues PLA (HK) special stamps

Certainly despite being a public holiday the streets seem unusually quiet today.

One interesting article is in the Taipei Times: Hong Kong 'no model for Taiwan'. China did itself no favours with Taiwan in its handling the HK democracy issue and Taiwan will be closely watching how events progress. However talk of HK being a successful template for an eventual re-unification with China has been replaced by suspicion and distrust. China's actions to date have spoken louder than their words.

UPDATE: Here's an interesting article in Business Day:

Hong Kong people treasure their personal liberties and they expect their local government to protect their freedoms vigorously. What is new is that Hong Kong's citizens are prepared to do something about their political concerns.

This Guardian article looks at some of the intimidation tactics used against HK democrats recently and summarises the changing politics of the democracy situation.

ABC Australia reports hackers have tried to disrupt the event by sending hoax emails saying the event has been cancelled.

UPDATE 2:Xinhua have a story on the handover day celebrations. It is a report of Tung Che-Hwa's remarks at the ceremony today and includes:

Tung said the government has indeed improved its governance though there are still inadequacies that need further improvement...He said that Hong Kong is blessed to be back with the motherland as the Chinese mainland takes off.

A flag raising ceremony was held earlier Thursday morning as one of the special programs for marking the seventh anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Over 3,000 people attended the national flag and HKSAR flag raising ceremony.

UPDATE 3: The march has actually started half an hour early at around 2:30pm and while it is hard to tell, at this stage it looks like the 300,000 target will be met and perhaps exceeded.

Reuters has a report from the march.

Tens of thousands of Hong Kong people dressed in white poured onto the streets on Thursday to vent their frustration at Chinese rule and challenge Beijing's refusal to allow them to elect their own leaders.

Waving green and black banners and sheltering under umbrellas from the searing sun, protesters chanting "Return power to the people, fight for democracy" streamed from a park to government offices in the heart of the city several kilometers (miles) away. Organizers said tens of thousands of people had gathered by mid-afternoon and estimated that as many as 300,000 people would join the march on the seventh anniversary of the former British colony's return to China, a public holiday.

UPDATE 4: Word is numbers are looking more like the 200,000 to 250,000 mark instead of 300,000 but no official word.

Some photos coming through:
Number 1
Number 2
Number 3
Number 4
Number 5

Click to embiggen.

Other pictures in the extended entry.

UPDATE 5:Even Al-Jazeera is covering this.

Channel News Asia is putting the numbers at around 250,000. Hong Kong has a population of about 7.5 million, so that is 3.33% of the city turning up to march.

Bloomberg and AFP are also reporting the 250,000 figure. The Singapore Straits Times is estimating the numbers as more than 200,000. The Guardian has a PA report with numbers at only 60,000 - clearly the wrong number. Was the reporter actually their today? Obviously not.

AFP has a good photo here.

With that it's time for me to go and join the masses. The interesting part will be Beijing's reaction. Does the more moderate tone end now the march is over or do they continue with their carrot-and-stick approach?

Some images from AP: