Tens of thousands of protesters have marched in Hong Kong through typhoon rains in support of universal suffrage. The march marks the 16th anniversary of the city’s return to mainland China's rule.
Drenched by rains from Tropical Storm Rumbia, protesters marched in Hong Kong Monday to demand that China live up to its promise to allow fully democratic elections in the semi-autonomous territory by 2017.
There has been mounting discontent directed at China's communist government amid concerns that Beijing may somehow try to rig the poll to screen out opposition candidates.
Protesters marched and chanted carrying British colonial Hong Kong flags and pro-democracy banners. The procession, which is organized annually by the Civil Human Rights Front, has come on the heels of a survey published by Hong Kong University, which found that only 33 percent of Hong Kong residents took pride in being a Chinese national - the lowest level since 1998.
The former British colony returned to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, and promised universal suffrage as an "ultimate aim." If the election goes through, Hong Kong will be the first place on Chinese soil to have fully democratic elections.
Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying, who was appointed last July, has also come under harsh criticism as many say he is guilty of kowtowing to Beijing. He is charged with overseeing the transition to universal suffrage, however many say little or no progress has been made.
"The main goal of the rally is to push through for genuine democracy and to ask for Leung Chun-ying to step down," Jackie Hung of the Civil Human Rights Front told the AFP news agency.
However, Beijing has countered that the ability of Hong Kong residents to protest proves that the freedoms guaranteed under the handover agreement were being honored.
"This year, with so many people going on the streets to protest, shows that under the 'one country two systems', Hong Kong has a lot of freedom and rights," the head of Beijing's Liaison Office in Hong Kong, Zhang Xiaoming, told reporters.
Libertatem Prius!
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Listen, we're watching the entire world self-immolate. The Middle East, I can see.
I personally just don't "get it". There are some where around 35-40 wars on-going right now. MOST of those are in the Middle East. Many are in Africa. Anyone seeing a real pattern here?
Asia has a couple of skirmishes I think, like China and Nepal or something.
America is very nearly ready to explode. It will be civilian against civilian (Right vs Left), Civilian vs Government (Right Wing, Freedom based civies fighting govie troops), American Citizens against Aliens, against terrorists and against anyone else who wants a piece of the action. If it happens millions will die in America. No one will win. It will be over in weeks instead of years. The world will rejoice.
I find it funny this is happening now in the East. The West's day is coming.
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Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong took to the streets in protest on Monday, pressing for promised democratic reforms. Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP
Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents endured torrential rain on Monday to push for promised democratic reforms and protest against the government. The annual 1 July march marks the anniversary of the territory's handover from Britain to China 16 years ago. But this year's protest was fuelled by anger at the unpopular Beijing-backed chief executive and concerns ranging from growing inequality to the influence of mainland Chinese in the territory.
One group carried a large banner reading "Chinese colonists, get out!" while others chanted: "One person, one foot! Kick Leung Chun-ying out!"
Organisers had hoped for one of the biggest turnouts since 2003, when half a million protesters surged onto the streets amid fury over proposed national security legislation. Supporters complained that pro-establishment groups tried to lure potential marchers away with a cheap concert and shopping discounts, but heavy rain was probably the biggest deterrent. Police said 33,500 had set out from the starting point, Victoria Park, while organisers have yet to release an estimate.
Under the "one country, two systems" framework, Hong Kong is a part of China but enjoys far greater freedoms. Beijing has promised universal suffrage for elections for the chief executive in 2017 and for the legislature by 2020. But most are suspicious of these pledges.
"The message of today's impressive turnout despite the rainy weather is clear: more Hong Kong people are demanding a faster pace and larger scope of democratic reform from the Hong Kong government, which is, however, politically sandwiched between the democrats and the central government in Beijing," said Sonny Lo, co-director of the centre for governance and citizenship at the Hong Kong Institute of Education.
"Given Beijing's distrust of the people of Hong Kong, who may really elect a chief executive independent of the centre's control, the 2017 chief executive election reform would likely be piecemeal and characterised by a nominating committee screening out 'politically unsafe' candidates."
That will not satisfy democrats, he pointed out – which would lead to the inevitable push towards the Occupy Central movement, a campaign of non-violent civil disobedience proposed for next summer if there is no real movement towards universal suffrage.
"The central government has to come up with a timetable and proposal to say how Hong Kong people can truly have one person, one vote instead of it being decided by 1,200 members of the ruling class," said Ed Chin, one of Occupy Central's organisers.
Earlier this year, a senior mainland official increased concerns by saying China would not accept a leader who confronted Beijing. On Monday, Leung said he would launch a consultation on universal suffrage "at an appropriate juncture", as he addressed a reception to celebrate the handover's anniversary.
Leung has been hit by scandals since taking power a year ago, ranging from illegal building work at his mansion to last week's fraud conviction for his first development secretary, Mak Chai-kwong.
But marcher KC Wong, who was pushing a giant red monster he had constructed, with flashing eyes and the yellow stars of the Chinese flag, said: "It's not only CY Leung that people are unhappy with: he is a puppet; it is who is behind the puppet."
The 43-year-old artist said his creation was inspired by a Japanese manga series about humans who live in walled cities to protect themselves from gigantic creatures who devour them. "Our city walls are falling one by one," he said. "You can see that in social, political and economic aspects Hong Kong is falling down – and, of course, people have asked for universal suffrage but been constantly denied."
He also complained that mainland influences were encouraging corruption and that an influx of mainland tourists was eroding local culture.
Nerissa Tsui, 21, said she was marching for the first time because issues such as housing had become so pressing. "People are living in [single] rooms, even cages, and the government says there is wealth and growth," she said.
Chau Kam-kwan and her husband Lee Siu-cheung, both retired, said they were worried about "brainwashing education" – the attempt to introduce national education courses, shelved last year after huge protests. . "We know a lot about our country, China, and love it. But we don't love this party," said Chau.
The Civil Human Rights Front, a coalition of groups which organised the demonstration, has yet to release an estimate of the number of marchers. Organisers said 400,000 people attended last year, while police put the figure at 63,000.
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A Chinese state-run newspaper warned Hong Kong residents that their semi-autonomous territory is in line to become the next Ukraine or [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Thailand[/COLOR][/COLOR] if pro-democracy protests, fuelled by an anti-Beijing sentiment, will continue.
Beijing’s Global Times, a nationalist newspaper renowned for its hawkish editorials, wrote that hundreds of activists who staged a sit-in in support of democratic reform in Hong Kong are a threat to the rule of law.
“Hong Kong might have ushered into a period of continued social and political unrest,” the paper wrote.
The reference to Thailand might be particularly worrisome to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists, as the military there seized [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]power[/COLOR][/COLOR] in coup, after months of rival protests that deadlocked government action.
About 8,000 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops are stationed in the special administrative region, mostly in the large waterfront barracks yards from where pro-democracy protests are taking place on Hong Kong [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]island[/COLOR][/COLOR]. Unlike their mainland counterparts, Hong Kong residents enjoy a series of freedoms, including free speech and the right to protest and have their own government.
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Pro-democracy activists, however, have always criticised the election of their city leader, known as the chief executive, by an elite pro-Beijing committee.
The Global Times’ editorial came after hundreds of Hong Kongers blocked part of the city’s financial district in a protest calling for electoral reforms that meet international standards, allowing opposition candidates to stand for election.
Turnout was boosted by a policy document released by China’s cabinet, which claimed that Hong Kong’s autonomy by grace of Beijing’s authorisation and the city leader must be patriotic to China.
“In Hong Kong, you have the system from the British and you cannot suddenly ask Hong Kong to change suddenly to what China does. If you do so, Hong Kong people cannot survive,” Gary Law, a 19-year-old demonstrator said.
Despite Law and fellow protesters’ appeals, Beijing issued a statement urging Hong Kongers to “undo the knots in their minds and unite with mainlanders to chase their great China dream”.
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Hong Kong: Moods turn festive as thousands of pro-democracy protesters light up Hong Kong streets
. Good evening and welcome to the SCMP’s live coverage of the Hong Kong Occupy Central protests. Tens of thousands of people are now occupying streets across the city, demanding democratic reforms from Beijing. Police have so far today kept a low profile, after their tear gas and pepper spray use yesterday. Stay tuned for all the breaking news throughout the night. Watch: protesters sing and wave their phones in unison 10.50pm Despite the crowds around the war memorial in Central, not one person is standing or sitting on the grass. There’s a new cardboard sign over the usual sign telling people not to go on the grass. 10.40pm The crowd outside police headquarters on Arsenal Street showed no signs of diminishing. They are occupy the flyover connecting Gloucester Road 10.35pm People near Sogo in Causeway Bay are shouting: “Leung Chun-ying resign, 689, resign!”.
A student leader asks the crowd: “Isn’t it clear what the public opinion is?” “Yes!” comes the thundering answer.
Hong Kong second night of pro-democracy protests, September 29-30, 2014. 10.20pm Three British financiers have won over the crowds in Admiralty grilling sausages and corn on a portable barbecue.
One of the Brits, Danel Shepherd, told local media that he’s been living in the city for 10 years and wanted to come and support the protesters with food, along with two of his colleagues. All three work in the IFC. Another supporter also brought demonstrators a huge vat of casserole.
This marks a difference in fare for the protesters, many of whom have been subsisting on chocolate bars and bananas donated by supporters.
10.10pm In front of Sogo department store in Causeway Bay, a student leader warns protesters that staying overnight is unlawful and that they might get arrested. He is giving instructions and the number of lawyers to whom students should call in case they are detained. 10.05pm Protesters start filling in Tim Mei Avenue – once blocked by police – again as Harcourt Road is fully packed.
Hong Kong second night of pro-democracy protests. People gather to cook and eat together. 10.00pm Schools and colleges on Hong Kong island will remain closed tomorrow, the government said this evening.
“Classes of all kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools and special schools in the Wan Chai, Central and Western districts” will be suspended on September 30, the Education Bureau said in a statement.
“For students studying in other districts but cannot go to schools due to traffic problems, schools should exercise flexibility when handling students’ lateness or absence,” it continued. The government encouraged parents to “keep their children home and not allow them to participate in any assemblies or activities that might be unlawful.”
I wish the best for Hong Kong. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, which amounted to most or part of a day on each of my trips into and out of mainland China. I did get to see the sights and visit the night market, take the commuter ferry to/from Kowloon and had dinner at some great places.
It's a great city to visit if you ever get the opportunity. It's pretty expensive though, on par with NYC except not as much communism as NYC.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
-- Theodore Roosevelt
BEIJING —The top Chinese military official in Hong Kong has called the violent protests of recent weeks “absolutely intolerable,” in a threatening speech that coincides with the release of an extraordinary video showing Chinese soldiers practicing firing on demonstrators.
Together, the speech and the video served as a thinly veiled warning to the protesters in Hong Kong that China’s patience is growing thin and that it is becoming increasingly willing to use force to quell the demonstrations in the semiautonomous territory.
“We resolutely support the action to maintain Hong Kong’s rule of law by the people who love the nation and the city, and we are determined to protect national sovereignty, security, stability and the prosperity of Hong Kong,” said Maj. Gen. Chen Daoxiang, commander of the People’s Liberation Army Garrison in Hong Kong.
He described the demonstrations, which have continued for eight consecutive weekends, as “absolutely intolerable.” The protests began as demonstrations against an extradition bill but have morphed into wider calls for democracy.
The demonstrations have turned violent at times and have become increasingly disruptive, but protesters have vowed to continue agitating for greater rights and fewer restrictions imposed by Beijing.
Chen made the remarks at a reception in Hong Kong on Wednesday night to mark the 92nd anniversary of the PLA's founding, which fell on Thursday. Carrie Lam, the Beijing-backed chief executive of Hong Kong, attended the event.
“The incidents have seriously threatened the life and safety of Hong Kong citizens and violated the bottom line of ‘one country, two systems,’” Chen said, referring to the principle that Hong Kong is supposed to enjoy a high degree of autonomy from the mainland.
At the same time, the Hong Kong garrison released a provocative video on its Weibo microblogging page that showed soldiers shouting into a loudspeaker in Cantonese, the language spoken in Hong Kong: “At your own peril!”
The soldiers, dressed in combat gear and holding shields, march forward and fire warning shots to disperse a pretend crowd in the streets. Some of the soldiers are carrying red banners that read, “Stop charging, or we use force,” in English and Chinese.
The caption on the video says: “The PLA’s Hong Kong Garrison is an important embodiment of China’s national sovereignty, a vital force of safeguarding the ‘One Country, Two Systems,’ and a cornerstone in maintaining Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability. What we have been doing is preparing for war, training hard on enemy-killing skills, and keep our weapons ready and always ready to attack!”
The foreign minister of Taiwan, Jaushieh Joseph Wu, wrote on Twitter that “Beijing is celebrating Armed Forces Day in a most uncivilized fashion.”
“The people of #HongKong are gifted a video of vile threats! The PLA is supposed to protect the people, not pound them into submission. It's time for authoritarian China to back off!” Wu wrote in remarks that were sure to antagonize Beijing.
The Communist Party views Taiwan as a renegade province that belongs to mainland China. Beijing has been making its unhappiness with the island’s independence-minded government increasingly obvious in recent days, especially as Taiwan and Hong Kong’s protesters appear to band together in the name of democracy.
A Chinese warship collided with a Taiwanese cargo ship in the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday night, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration reported Thursday. The Taiwanese ship was damaged, but none of its crew were injured, according to local reports.
The PLA’s video also showed tanks conducting maneuvers around the pretend streets, in scenes that left little room for misinterpretation.
Asked how the world should interpret the video, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that people should “go ask the military.” She added, “We believe the PLA garrison in Hong Kong will continue to be the anchor for stability and prosperity in Hong Kong.”
Separately, about 190,000 armed police officers have been conducting summer drills in Guangdong, the southern Chinese province bordering Hong Kong, in exercises designed to prepare for National Day celebrations to be held in October. The exercises involved armored vehicles and helicopters.
While the drills themselves are not unusual, the location is. Analysts noted that the celebrations will be concentrated in Beijing, in the north of the country, and the soldiers began their drills by swearing to increase security in the days leading to the grand parade in Beijing.
The Chinese army has released a promotional video on Aug. 1, 2019 for its Hong Kong-based troops at a time of uncertainty over whether the military will intervene in the city's summer of protest. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File) In Beijing, the ruling Communist Party celebrated the anniversary of its military’s establishment with great fanfare. President Xi Jinping, who is also head of the Communist Party and the Central Military Commission, said that building a well-rounded, world-class army was essential for “realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
“Amid a complicated international situation and responding to the demands of the day for a strong country with a strong military, the PLA must serve the historical mission of the Party,” the PLA Daily newspaper said in an editorial published Thursday.
The party even opened a new television channel dedicated entirely to the PLA. The channel, which replaced one devoted to agriculture, featured military documentaries and interviews with veterans, as well as three episodes of a PLA-themed TV series, “Hot Blood Military Flag.”
These exhortations for a strong military will heighten concerns in the United States about China's military expansion and its increasingly aggressive ambitions in the region.
China is pursuing “a military modernization program that seeks Indo-Pacific regional hegemony in the near-term and displacement of the United States to achieve global preeminence in the future,” the Pentagon wrote in its most recent National Defense Strategy.
“The most far-reaching objective of this defense strategy is to set the military relationship between our two countries on a path of transparency and non-aggression,” it concluded.
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Nikita Khrushchev:"We will bury you"
"Your grandchildren will live under communism."
“You Americans are so gullible.
No, you won’t accept To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism.
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We’ll so weaken your To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. like overripe fruit into our hands."
Protesters flooded Hong Kong's airport, one of the busiest in the world, on Monday, forcing authorities to cancel more than 100 flights as demonstrators expressed their anger over the violent police response to protests the night before.
Video of the airport terminal showed thick crowds chanting protest slogans.
Amid the unrest, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flagship carrier, has reportedly fired two employees and suspended a pilot for participating in the protests. The airline said over the weekend that it would 'comply with a directive from China's aviation authority'. According to the FT, Cathay's move was "the starkest sign yet of Beijing's growing readiness to make high-profile businesses choose between the protesters and the government. The company's shares were off more than 4% in recent trade.
More broadly speaking, European equities sold off as the developments in Hong Kong created a risk off mood on a morning that was mostly devoid of data.
Per the NYT, the protesters gathered throughout the day, first filling up the arrival halls, before expanding upstairs to the departure halls. Monday's protest is a continuation of a three-day peaceful sit-in at the airport which began on Friday. It bore none of the violence that demonstrations on Sunday night had, where police fired tear gas inside a subway station and charged at protesters on an escalator.
Some incoming flights were being diverted to Taiwan.
Cathay Pacific Airways flight CX527 from Tokyo NRT to Hong Kong diverted to Kaohsiung due to airport closure. https://t.co/8iKyGVZsmp
— 航空情報 AirPlaneInformation (@APInfo_bot) August 12, 2019
Noel Tse, a 29-year-old nurse, said she participated in the sit-in at the airport because she thought the police had acted to aggressively on Sunday. "As a member of Hong Kong, this incident is no longer a political issue," Tse said. "It is a battle between right and wrong."
But even more ominously, over the border in Shenzen, the Chinese city that lies directly across from Hong Kong, Chinese People's Liberation Army forces were building up ahead of what appears to be a "apparent large-scale exercise," according to the Global Times. "Numerous" armored personnel carriers, trucks and other vehicles of the paramilitary police were seen heading towards Shenzhen over the weekend. That means the long-awaited military intervention from the mainland could be just around the corner - something that the Hong Kong people have condemned.
Yang Guang, spokesman from China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said there should be a crackdown on violence in the city, during a briefing.
"The people who are protesting are not backing down, the Chinese government doesn’t seem to be backing down, so if cooler heads don’t prevail it’s possible things in Hong Kong could get very ugly." Of course, as we listed last night, China has many other headaches on its hands, including trade war, PPI deflation, soaring food inflation, a trade war with the US, and record high debt. Steve Eisman of the Big Short fame said conflict in Hong Kong could further adversely impact the trade war between the U.S. and China and could ripple through the global markets.
"That’s actually what I’m worried about the most right now, because every weekend we’ve got this drama where the people of Hong Kong are having protests in the millions and its starting to get very violent,"said Eisman.
The People's Armed Police have been assembling in Shenzhen, a city bordering Hong Kong, in advance of apparent large-scale exercises, videos obtained by the Global Times have shown.
“The People’s Armed Police have been assembling in Shenzhen, a city bordering Hong Kong, in advance of apparent large-scale exercises.”
Chinese law authorizes the use of the People’s Armed Police (PAP) to “handle riots, unrest, severe violent criminal activities, terrorist attacks and other public safety incidents.”
— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) August 12, 2019
“Chinese law authorizes the use of the People’s Armed Police (PAP) to “handle riots, unrest, severe violent criminal activities, terrorist attacks and other public safety incidents.”
Chinese tanks have rolled into place along the Hong Kong border, as the government threatens to show "no mercy" to pro-democracy protesters.
Angry crowds have taken over the city's international airport. Australians have been caught among the travellers stranded, as flights ground to a halt.
Join Nine News for the latest in news and events that affect you in your local city, as well as news from across Australia and the world.
Riot Police fired bullet to protestor in railway station within 1 meter. Can anyone tell me Riot Police are trying to murder or not? They are just protestors leaving the protest zone peacefully. #HKPoliceStatepic.twitter.com/5l2tMIz2oJ
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) August 11, 2019
Let us admin HK is a police state. Riot police push down peaceful protestor on the escalator of railway station. pic.twitter.com/gycHF8E8Zo
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) August 11, 2019
Tonight we saw some incredible escalation from the police: more people shot by teargas rounds fired directly at them; teargas fired point-blank into an operating MTR station; and police disguising themselves as protesters to provoke fights and pounce upon people as they withdrew. pic.twitter.com/XJZ81rYg1q
— Ryan Ho Kilpatrick 何松濤 (@rhokilpatrick) August 11, 2019
"Stop pressing. I'm sorry! You've arrested me. My front teeth are falling out. I'm sorry!"
A protester sobs in agony as Hong Kong police mash his face into the pavement. #AbolishHKPF now.
[video: @HongKongFP; subtitles: me] pic.twitter.com/tKSfdd1ciE
— wilfred chan (@wilfredchan) August 11, 2019
More than thousand HKers sing Les Miserables' 'Do you hear the people sing?' at HK international airport with their calls for free election and democracy. Here is the Ground Zero in the war against authoritarian rule. That's the reason for us never surrender. pic.twitter.com/1MkTp4BkVg
— Joshua Wong 黃之鋒 (@joshuawongcf) August 10, 2019
UPDATE
Thousands of new readers have arrived at this story via google and other search engines.
Citizen Free Press is the new Drudge Report alternative…
Posted by Kane on August 12, 2019 10:33 am
Categories: Column 2
The Chinese government has begun moving troops across the Shenzhen Qianhai Guangshen Coastal Expressway Bridge into Hong Kong minutes ago, in a military operation to put down protests against the government of Beijing.
Hundreds of military trucks carrying soldiers and guns are moving at this hour across the Bridge into Hong Kong.
Hong Kong police escalated the use of violence against protesters this weekend, the tenth since protests against Communist Party influence in the city began, flooding closed-off areas with tear gas and, on one occasion, allegedly shooting a protester in the eye.
The harrowing image of the young woman, yet to be identified, bleeding profusely from her eye socket inspired protesters Monday to demand Hong Kong police “give us the eye back.”
In another video, journalists caught police beating a complying protester and squeezing him into a pool of his own blood as the protester repeatedly told officers he was complying with his arrest and in significant pain.
Police also used tear gas liberally in contained spaces – most notably, in an enclosed Mass Transit Rail (MTR) station – and fired pellets and bean bags at close range, injuring protesters. Many online questioned the use of tear gas, meant to disperse crowds, in a space where the protesters were trapped and could not physically disperse.
Protesters have launched a White House petition to brand the Hong Kong police force a terrorist organization which, as of Monday morning, has enough signatures for an official U.S. government response.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets on Saturday and Sunday throughout the city, the Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported, despite police limiting the scope of protests, banning marching in many instances, and keeping protesters away from government buildings and police stations. While the protest movement has been overwhelmingly peaceful, protesters have attacked government buildings to prevent officials from conducting business that would limit their civil liberties. Most prominently, protesters destroyed the headquarters of the Legislative Council (LegCo) – only targeting the facilities needed to pass laws – to keep legislators from passing a law that would allow China to extradite anyone present in the city for violating communist laws.
A full withdrawal of the extradition law – which makes Communist Party laws viable on Hong Kong soil and, thus, violates the “One Country, Two Systems” policy that governs the city – is the primary demand of the protest movement. Lawmakers have tabled the bill, which allows them to revive it at any time, but have refused to withdraw it.
Protesters began surrounding a police station in the neighborhood of Tsim Sha Tsui late Sunday, prompting police to flood the area with tear gas and use bean bags, pellets, and other projectiles against the protesters. Video from the area circulating online showed a young woman with a bleeding eye being tended to by paramedics. She was reportedly shot by a bean bag round:
Citing a source at the hospital tending to the protester, who remains unidentified, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday that the impact had “ruptured” the woman’s eyeball, but it was not yet a certainty that she would lose it. The unnamed source, a doctor, said the woman had endured six hours of surgery on her face to repair damage to her nose in addition to emergency measures to save her eye.
Police protocol bans firing bean bag rounds at protesters’ faces, allowing their use only on bodies in cases of emergency.
Hong Kong policy denied that officers fired the shot that injured the woman, whose status as a protester has not been confirmed.
“There is no evidence showing that the cause of this incident was related to the police, Tang Ping-keung, deputy commissioner of Hong Kong police, said at a Monday conference,” the Communist Party propaganda outlet Global Times claimed on Monday. An unidentified source the Global Times claimed to be a police officer added it was “technically impossible” for police to shoot the woman to cause such an injury, though he did not explain why.
Protesters taking to the streets on Monday demanded symbolically that police “give back the eye.” Some wore eye patches in solidarity:
Journalists reported personally witnessing police officers shooting pepper balls and other anti-riot projectiles at protesters at close range, threatening serious injury. The use of tear gas in enclosed spaces also elicited horrified reactions as videos from prominent members of the protest movement began circulating online. Hong Kong police have neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the videos:
The Hong Kong Free Press published a shocking video Sunday showing more violence against protesters, this time against a young man pinned to the ground in a pool of his own blood by a police officer dressed in a black shirt and a construction hard hat – the common uniform of protesters. The man in the video does not appear to resist arrest and repeatedly says, “I understand; don’t press me”:
Police denied that undercover officers had dressed as protesters to attack from within. The South China Morning Post found “force insiders” willing to admit to the tactic, however, calling it the “first move of its kind” during the current wave of protests. A senior police official did admit to a “decoy” operation but did not confirm that officers were dressed as protesters and insisted the operation only targeted “violent rioters.”
Hong Kong’s government, a puppet arm of the Communist Party of China, has branded all the peaceful protests “riots.” Among the protesters’ five demands is an official government statement that at least one of those protests – the June 12 mass march for democracy – was not a “riot”:
This weekend marked the first since the return of Alan Lau, a retired police deputy commissioner widely acknowledged as the man who successfully repressed the 2014 pro-democracy protests in the city. The Morning Post reported that, as of Monday afternoon, 54 people were hospitalized. The youngest is eight years old.
Pro-democracy movement leaders began circulating a petition this weekend to ask the American government to brand the Hong Kong police force a terrorist organization, comparing their tactics to those of Nazi Germany. The petition currently has 130,393 signatures, over 30,000 more than necessary for a response.
Hong Kong’s government continues to insist that the protesters are violent “extremists” seeking a full separation from the repressive communist regime governing China.
“Some radical elements have changed the nature of the protests: some defaced the national emblem, and others took down a national flag and threw it into the sea. They said they want to foment revolution, to ‘liberate’ Hong Kong,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam alleged last week.
Protests continued into Monday, shutting down Hong Kong’s airport.
Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.
Last edited by vector7; August 13th, 2019 at 17:30.
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Nikita Khrushchev:"We will bury you"
"Your grandchildren will live under communism."
“You Americans are so gullible.
No, you won’t accept To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism.
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We’ll so weaken your To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. like overripe fruit into our hands."
Hong Kong protesters may be in for an electrifying experience after Chinese riot police were pictured training with 'terrifying giant fork devices' designed to subdue humans and pin them to the ground, according to the Mirror.
While unconfirmed, the 8-foot poles with U-shaped prongs are believed to be able to deliver an electric shock.
The protests, now in their 11th week, have been alternating between the streets, subways, and airports of Hong Kong. While largely peaceful, there is a growing contingent of activists using violence and property destruction to protest the government, resulting in police tear gassings and beatings.
As we have been noting over the last week, satellite images confirmed President Trump's warning that Chinese troops were massing on the Hong Kong border.
And on Thursday, AFP published photos showing more military buildup unfolding in Shenzen. The photos revealed what Reuters reports are hundreds of members of the People's Armed Police, a pro-regime paramilitary organization, carrying out military exercises in a stadium in Shenzen. They could be preparing to carry out demonstrations of its own in Hong Kong.
On Saturday, businesses shuttered their doors and windows in anticipation of more mayhem, however cloudy skies put an early damper on the demonstrations.
Saturday’s mostly peaceful protest suggested that it may - though thousands also attended a pro-police counter-rally, and a clearer picture is not likely to emerge until Sunday when a protest is scheduled that could draw tens of thousands.
“The government has been ignoring us for months. We have to keep demonstrating,” said CS Chan, a maths teacher at a rally of teachers, which police said up to 8,300 people had attended, in heavy rain. Organisers said 22,000 were present.
Demonstrators say they are fighting the erosion of the “one country, two systems” arrangement that has enshrined some autonomy for Hong Kong since China took it back from Britain in 1997. -Reuters
As the skies cleared up, protesters marched through Kowloon, whole pro-police demonstrators rallied in harbourside park across the bay.
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Nikita Khrushchev:"We will bury you"
"Your grandchildren will live under communism."
“You Americans are so gullible.
No, you won’t accept To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism.
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We’ll so weaken your To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. like overripe fruit into our hands."
Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation's Marion Smith with the latest on the protests in Hong Kong.
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Nikita Khrushchev:"We will bury you"
"Your grandchildren will live under communism."
“You Americans are so gullible.
No, you won’t accept To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ."
We’ll so weaken your To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. like overripe fruit into our hands."
The news comes amid ongoing protests in the financial hub, which reportedly turned violent last week for the first time since hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong residents took to the streets almost two months ago.
The People's Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong said Thursday that the Chinese military will make 'new' contributions to maintaining Hong Kong prosperity and stability, Reuters reported, citing the Xinhua news agency.
According to the media report, the Chinese military has now completed a routine troop rotation in Hong Kong, with air, land and maritime forces entering the territory.
Protests in the financial hub began over two months ago after local legislature opened debate on a bill that would allow extradition to mainland China. The city’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, has since declared the bill to be "dead" although according to protesters it has not been officially scrubbed from the record.
Protesters are demanding that the offensive bill officially be withdrawn. Locals also want city authorities to implement universal suffrage and retract criminal charges against the protesters.
Last week, rallies reportedly turned violent, with police firing warning shots for the first time in three months. In mid-August, protesters occupied the Hong Kong International airport. The peaceful sit-in rally escalated into fierce clashes with some Chinese police officers who were reported injured. Beijing condemned what it described as the violent actions of the protesters, calling them "near-terrorist acts".
The United Kingdom and the United States have expressed concern over alleged acts of violence that occurred during major protests in Hong Kong. Beijing has warned against foreign interference in domestic Hong Kong affairs.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the situation in Hong Kong amid recent massive protests the most serious since the region's return to China in 1997.
In 1997, Hong Kong became the first administrative region of China under a "one country, two systems" policy. The move ended colonial rule by Britain of the region.
Hong Kong, reportedly enjoying a level of autonomy from China, except for foreign and defense policies, has a legal system that significantly differs from Beijing.
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Nikita Khrushchev:"We will bury you"
"Your grandchildren will live under communism."
“You Americans are so gullible.
No, you won’t accept To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ."
We’ll so weaken your To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. until you’ll To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 15 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. like overripe fruit into our hands."
Hong Kong Burns!
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Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong took to the streets in protest on Monday, pressing for promised democratic reforms. Photograph: Vincent Yu/AP
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