Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong arrested ahead of weekend protests

[webfact]

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong arrested ahead of weekend protests

 

FILE PHOTO: Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong talks to the media outside the Legislative Council during a demonstration demanding Hong Kong's leaders to step down and withdraw the extradition bill, in Hong Kong, China, June 17, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was arrested on Friday ahead of another weekend of planned protests in the Chinese-ruled city which is grappling with its biggest political crisis since its handover to Beijing more than two decades ago.

 

Wong, the face of Hong Kong's push for full democracy during protests in 2014 that paralysed parts of the city for 79 days, was released from jail in June after serving a five-week term for contempt of court.

 

"He was suddenly pushed into a private car on the street," Wong's political party Demosisto, which advocates for greater democracy in Hong Kong, said on its official Twitter account.

 

"He has now been escorted to the police headquarters in Wan Chai," it said, adding its lawyers were working on the case.

 

Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Unrest in Hong Kong escalated in mid-June over a now-suspended extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to mainland China for trial in Communist Party-controlled courts.

 

It has since evolved into calls for greater democracy under the "one country, two systems" formula, which guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, including an independent judiciary.

 

On Thursday, China brought fresh troops into Hong Kong in what it described as a routine rotation of the garrison.

 

Chinese state media stressed the troop movement was routine and Asian and Western diplomats watching the People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces in the former British colony had been expecting it.

 

Chinese soldiers stationed in Hong Kong are not there merely for symbolic purposes and they will have "no reason to sit on their hands" if the situation in the city worsens, an editorial in the China Daily newspaper said on Friday.

 

Police have refused permission for a pro-democracy march on Saturday, but organisers have appealed against the decision.

 

The protest would mark five years since Beijing ruled out universal suffrage for Hong Kong and comes as Hong Kong faces its first recession in a decade, with all its pillars of growth under stress.

 

(Reporting By Anne Marie Roantree and Donny Kwok; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-30

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[Jack Mountain]

.... and the beat goes on ...... and the beat goes on ....

 

Put him in a closet with a fanta, cookies and an adult magazine for a couple of months. After that, mopping the airport for a few years ...

[MarineEquine]

Hong Kong was doomed the second the UK signed the 99 year lease. It's just a matter of time before China imposes its will. 

[Bluespunk]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"He was suddenly pushed into a private car on the street," Wong's political party Demosisto, which advocates for greater democracy in Hong Kong, said on its official Twitter account.

 

"He has now been escorted to the police headquarters in Wan Chai,"

Yeah, right, ''escorted''...

[Bluespunk]

13 minutes ago, MarineEquine said:

Hong Kong was doomed the second the UK signed the 99 year lease. It's just a matter of time before China imposes its will. 

What 99 year lease?

 

You mean when the british imposed their imperial will on a very weak China back in in 1898?

 

Or do you mean the 50 year arrangement arranged when that lease ran out?

Edited August 30, 2019 by Bluespunk

[WeekendRaider]

I don't understand, and it is not reported or discussed by most anyone, why there are no avenues for these folks to join the Communist Party.  no avenues at all?  none of these folks could join the system?  

as an American I am actually jealous.  a genuine one party democracy sounds a lot better than the nonsense we have in the USA with two fake political parties, and the only exception in all my life time was the election of Donald Trump as president of the USA.  other than that just total nonsense for decades upon decades.  I'd rather be in a genuine political party to which many people actively participate rather than a handful of folks in our political system.  very few ordinary folks participate or have much say in our USA political parties unless they have money.  it's what you have not what you know or who you know.   

 

the Chinese system, based on who as well as what you know..... rather than just money money money..... is looking better all the time, as far as any national systems go.   

Edited August 30, 2019 by WeekendRaider

[stevenl]

10 minutes ago, WeekendRaider said:

I don't understand, and it is not reported or discussed by most anyone, why there are no avenues for these folks to join the Communist Party.  no avenues at all?  none of these folks could join the system?  

as an American I am actually jealous.  a genuine one party democracy sounds a lot better than the nonsense we have in the USA with two fake political parties, and the only exception in all my life time was the election of Donald Trump as president of the USA.  other than that just total nonsense for decades upon decades.  I'd rather be in a genuine political party to which many people actively participate rather than a handful of folks in our political system.  very few ordinary folks participate or have much say in our USA political parties unless they have money.  it's what you have not what you know or who you know.   

 

the Chinese system, based on who as well as what you know..... rather than just money money money..... is looking better all the time, as far as any national systems go.   

While I agree that the Chinese system is better with regards to forward planning, there are many disadvantages, no democracy at all being on the forefront.

 

Your post reeks of gross ignorance.

[JAG]

1 hour ago, WeekendRaider said:

I don't understand, and it is not reported or discussed by most anyone, why there are no avenues for these folks to join the Communist Party.  no avenues at all?  none of these folks could join the system?  

as an American I am actually jealous.  a genuine one party democracy sounds a lot better than the nonsense we have in the USA with two fake political parties, and the only exception in all my life time was the election of Donald Trump as president of the USA.  other than that just total nonsense for decades upon decades.  I'd rather be in a genuine political party to which many people actively participate rather than a handful of folks in our political system.  very few ordinary folks participate or have much say in our USA political parties unless they have money.  it's what you have not what you know or who you know.   

 

the Chinese system, based on who as well as what you know..... rather than just money money money..... is looking better all the time, as far as any national systems go.   

Political naievity redefined!

 

But then, I suppose that it's time that "At least Mussolini made the trains run on time" had it's day and was replaced as a mantra!

????

[Burma Bill]

Arrest Carrie Lam as well for inciting the pro-democracy protests by not withdrawing the controversial "Extradition to China" Bill.

[Peterphuket]

10 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Arrest Carrie Lam as well for inciting the pro-democracy protests by not withdrawing the controversial "Extradition to China" Bill.

First you'll have to tell me who is the person to arrest her.

She is pro-China, everbody knows.

I like to arrest her, but I don't have the authority.

[tonbridgebrit]

Joshua Wong and the demonstraters carried out demonstrations that disrupted Hong Kong for 79 days five years ago, back in 2014.

What are on earth did the demonstrations achieve ? Almost nothing, apart from harming Hong Kong's economy. I really do think the demonstraters should accept that they fired their bolt back in 2014, and they're going to achieve very little this time round, again.

Are they going to block traffic and harm Hong Kong's economy for another three months ? Well, I suppose the important thing is, is that they don't take over the airport again.


By the way, the right to demonstrate, to block traffic, and to do it for more than four days. They're being allowed to do this in Hong Kong. Riot police are not actually clearing them away.
What about Britain ? How great is the freedom to do a demonstration, and to block traffic for more than four days ? Block traffic for months, bring central London to a standstill for weeks or months ? The British Prime Minister has carried out a 'coup' in order to force through a 'suicidal no-deal Hard Brexit'.  Should the Remainers in Britain be allowed to block traffic in central London for as long as they want ?

Edited August 30, 2019 by tonbridgebrit

[Morch]

27 minutes ago, tonbridgebrit said:

Joshua Wong and the demonstraters carried out demonstrations that disrupted Hong Kong for 79 days five years ago, back in 2014.

What are on earth did the demonstrations achieve ? Almost nothing, apart from harming Hong Kong's economy. I really do think the demonstraters should accept that they fired their bolt back in 2014, and they're going to achieve very little this time round, again.

Are they going to block traffic and harm Hong Kong's economy for another three months ? Well, I suppose the important thing is, is that they don't take over the airport again.


By the way, the right to demonstrate, to block traffic, and to do it for more than four days. They're being allowed to do this in Hong Kong. Riot police are not actually clearing them away.
What about Britain ? How great is the freedom to do a demonstration, and to block traffic for more than four days ? Block traffic for months, bring central London to a standstill for weeks or months ? The British Prime Minister has carried out a 'coup' in order to force through a 'suicidal no-deal Hard Brexit'.  Should the Remainers in Britain be allowed to block traffic in central London for as long as they want ?

 

Doubt anyone familiar with your many posts, cheer-leading China and its leadership, would find the expressed "concern" for HK's economy very convincing or genuine.

 

As for the what-about-the-UK bit - usually, when one tries to engage in some whataboutery deflection effort, it is advisable to avoid using the actual "what about" phrase.

[Whip]

It is a part of China but soon it will be a part of Red China

[JemJem]

I am guessing that the order for these arrests came from Beijing.

 

It could be a matter of weeks (or even days) before China cracks down on the HK protesters (via its mainland forces, I mean), if the protests continue. I hope this won't happen, but I am not too optimistic.

[Traubert]

18 hours ago, JemJem said:

I am guessing that the order for these arrests came from Beijing.

 

It could be a matter of weeks (or even days) before China cracks down on the HK protesters (via its mainland forces, I mean), if the protests continue. I hope this won't happen, but I am not too optimistic.

No, they got them on CCTV orchestrating an attack on a police station. They were advised to surrender themselves but chose not to, hence they were lifted.

[Morch]

24 minutes ago, Traubert said:

No, they got them on CCTV orchestrating an attack on a police station. They were advised to surrender themselves but chose not to, hence they were lifted.

 

Source?