HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong is gearing for local elections that have become a referendum on public support for more than five months of protests.

For the first time, all 452 seats on the city’s 18 councils are contested in Hong Kong’s only fully democratic elections on Sunday.

The pro-democracy opposition hopes to win a decisive victory on the back of public anger against the government and police. Pro-government candidates concede they are the underdogs but are urging voters to choose stability over violence.

Among the new faces running is Cathy Yau, a former police officer who quit in July exasperated at the increasing use of force to quell the unrest.

She says, “I cannot accept the fact that tear gas is fired everywhere and police brutality is getting worse.”