Hong Kong opens for business after violent long weekend, braces for more protests

[webfact]

Hong Kong opens for business after violent long weekend, braces for more protests

 

Some students from La Salle College wear masks, which have been banned at protests under emergency powers, as they walk to school in Hong Kong, China, October 8, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong opened for business on Tuesday after a violent long weekend, with its metro rail system only partially functioning and authorities warning residents they may have trouble commuting due to widespread vandalism of infrastructure.

 

The Chinese-ruled city braced for more demonstrations through the week and embattled leader Carrie Lam was due to address the media at a weekly news conference on Tuesday morning after the most violent clashes in around four months of anti-government unrest.

 

The protests, which show no sign of abating, pose the biggest popular challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.

 

Two teenage protesters have been shot, one in the chest and the other in the leg, during skirmishes with police in some of the recent violence.

 

Hong Kong's metro, which carries about 5 million passengers a day, said on Tuesday some stations would not open for service because damaged facilities needed to be repaired. Train service would also end at 8 p.m. (1200 GMT), more than four hours earlier than normal.

 

MTR Corp was forced to shut down in an unprecedented move after arson attacks on Friday night and only partially operated during the weekend, with protesters again setting stations ablaze and destroying ticketing machines. The closures largely paralysed transportation around much of the Asian financial hub.

 

The Hong Kong government said in a statement early on Tuesday "a large group of masked rioters repeatedly committed destructive acts extensively", including "dropping a bicycle from height" that hit and injured a police officer. Roads were also blocked in various districts, it said.

 

ATMs, Chinese banks and scores of shops were vandalised during violent protests over the long weekend, some of which drew tens of thousands of people. Many restaurants and malls closed early over what is typically a very busy holiday period.

 

That followed the decision by authorities to impose a ban on face masks, which protesters use to protect their identity, on Friday under colonial-era emergency powers.

 

Residents awoke on Tuesday to anti-police graffiti and streets littered with broken bricks and metal barricades from weekend clashes, during which police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to subdue petrol bomb-throwing protesters.

 

The protests have plunged the former British colony into its worst political crisis in decades and are taking a growing toll on Hong Kong's economy, hitting its important tourism and retail sectors as it faces its first recession in a decade.

 

What started as opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill has grown into a pro-democracy movement against what is seen as Beijing's increasing grip on the city, which protesters say undermines a "one country, two systems" formula promised when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

 

China dismisses such accusations, saying foreign governments, including Britain and the United States, have fanned anti-China sentiment.

 

The ban on face masks inflamed protests and angered many Hong Kongers who fear a further erosion of their civil liberties.

 

(Writing by Farah Master and Michael Perry; Editing by Paul Tait)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-08

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[yellowboat]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

China dismisses such accusations, saying foreign governments, including Britain and the United States, have fanned anti-China sentiment.

How?  What proof is there ?

[whimsicalmike]

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

How?  What proof is there ?

The Chinese have never really needed proof, just accuse everybody

[tonbridgebrit]

So, Hong Kong opens for business after a long weekend. And Hong Kong is looking at more protests ?

From the article "ATMs, Chinese banks and scores of shops were vandalised during violent protests over the long weekend, some of which drew tens of thousands of people. Many restaurants and malls closed early over what is typically a very busy holiday period. "

The rioters/demonstraters also vandalized and set fire outside some of the MTR stations. MTR is Hong Kong's underground transport system.

So, the rioters do their damage. Repairmen then get paid to turn up and repair the damage. And then what ? Rioters damage the stuff again. Why have this ? How about, watch the rioters destroy the place, and then, do not bother to repair it ? I mean, why repair it, when it is going to be damaged again, this weekend ?

Edited October 8, 2019 by tonbridgebrit

[tonbridgebrit]

And the above Youtube video is of the demonstraters/rioters vandalizing the MTR and other places. This is from VOA.
VOA is Voice of America, VOA is hardly likely to be trying to paint a picture that is biased against the demonstraters/rioters.

Surely, the rioters, the ones doing this damage, they are not helping Hong Kong ? They should be arrested and punished ? How on earth can trashing buildings and the MTR, be regarded as fighting for democracy ?

Edited October 8, 2019 by tonbridgebrit

[tonbridgebrit]

19 hours ago, yellowboat said:

How?  What proof is there ?

 

16 hours ago, whimsicalmike said:

The Chinese have never really needed proof, just accuse everybody

Are foreign groups involved in the demonstrations/riots in Hong Kong ? Are groups in the USA secretly financing and supporting the riots ? Well, let's put it this way. The Chinese in Hong Kong who are carrying out the riots, they're probably hoping that America is NOT involved in any of this. Why ?

Because, let's look at history. It seems to be that, whenever there is major change or upheaval in whatever country, if America IS involved and backing it, well, it usually ends badly. The US government sometimes has an attitude of "we will back you when it suits us, when you're no longer useful to us, when or if the stuff is not working, we will leave/abandon you".

An example will be the Hmong people in Laos. There are many other examples. Another one is the latest situation in Syria, with the Kurds. It's as if Washington's involvement is the "Kiss of Death" for a lot of people.

The rioters in Hong Kong should know this. If groups in America are giving you aid and support, and if you're going to do your stuff because of this support, this means you're taking a big risk. It will not be good for you if or when it fails to work. Better to not start in the first place.

Edited October 9, 2019 by tonbridgebrit