Hong Kong protests: Police move in to clear main road

[webfact]

Hong Kong protests: Police move in to clear main road

HONG KONG: -- Police in Hong Kong have clashed with pro-democracy protesters as they tried to clear an underpass near the city government headquarters.

Reports say hundreds of police officers wearing riot gear used pepper spray to disperse the protesters, arresting several people in the process.

At a briefing before the clashes, police said they had to clear Lung Wo Road as it was a major thoroughfare.

Demonstrators have occupied parts of Hong Kong for more than two weeks.

The protesters, a mix of students and a pro-democracy group called Occupy Central, are demanding fully free elections in the next vote for the territory's leader.

China, which has control over Hong Kong, says residents can vote - but it will vet which candidates are eligible to stand.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-29623396


-- BBC 2014-10-15

[Somtamnication]

Somewhere somehow that seed for freedom is still there. It will happen, one day. Maybe when the apes take over, but it will happen.

[Publicus]

As the sun rose this morning over Hong Kong.....

Occupy Mong Kok on Wednesday morning. Photo: Danny Mok

Police and protesters clash as authorities clear Lung Wo Road. Photo: Amy Nip

Police have used a chainsaw to break down the barricades at Queensway made

by pro-democracy demonstrators using bamboo and wood boards

This is good.

During the anti Vietnam war protests and demonstrations of the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s an entire generation of American college and high school students learned that passive civil disobedience was not enough, that the power elites had an enthusiastic and willing police force to enforce its arrogant will. Generations that have followed take the lesson as a given.

Demonstrating protesters quickly learned that the only effective actions against established authority was to "sit-in" the offices and buildings of the decision makers - what's now called "Occupy."

Young protesters then learned to confront the police rather than to accept their forceful abuse and removal of passive demonstrators. We learned to disbelieve and to reject the sanctimonious statements of those in authority whether they were university chiefs, police chiefs, mayors, governors of the president of the U.S.

Hong Kong youth in the streets and citizen Hong Kongers who are watching the present low-intensity developments are beginning to learn the like, same and similar lessons in their own time and in their own place, under the present circumstances of fighting for democracy itself.

The Boyz in Beijing have lessons to learn that they haven't any idea exist. The resistance of the wealthy and educated mass of Hong Kongers and their firm commitment to democracy against Beijing's arbitrary rule has only just begun.

[Khun David]

Having lived in Hong Kong for many years in the 80s and 90s, I Know money rules in HK, The students are on a hiding to nothing, however worthy their cause. Once the protest sites prevent HK people from earning money, the protest is doomed to failure. Beijing would be well aware of this, all the powers that be in Beijing had to do was wait.

[h90]

Somewhere somehow that seed for freedom is still there. It will happen, one day. Maybe when the apes take over, but it will happen.

Has HK no freedom at the moment?

Is there more freedom if some rich corrupt politician buys himself into leader than if the party in Beijing appoints someone?

I don't see much difference.

[Khun David]

Its a good point, however the HK electorate in general are far more savvy than most, and the checks and balances are far more rigorous than they are here !!

[LawrenceChee]

Having lived in Hong Kong for many years in the 80s and 90s, I Know money rules in HK, The students are on a hiding to nothing, however worthy their cause. Once the protest sites prevent HK people from earning money, the protest is doomed to failure. Beijing would be well aware of this, all the powers that be in Beijing had to do was wait.

Very good observation ...the taxi drivers , the truck drivers , the food seller, the retail and hoteliers all want the roads reopened ..the HK police is doing the right thing by reopening roads.

My friends in the hotel business tells me that this month service tips payout is significantly lower and this protest has impacted many in the service fields there from a de facto "paycut" for something they may not agree or disagree with

Idealism should not interfere with being practical and having a normal way of life

If there are some who believe in this occupy movement....I would think the same one in Wall Street should have built squatter apartments on the roads by then if that protest has not ended but of course the police there have also cleared the roads etc etc

Sadly it has also ended ...so would be hypocritical to expect China or HK citizens to bear that same burden of being inconvenienced

[JohnnyJazz]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

During the anti Vietnam war protests and demonstrations of the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s an entire generation of American college and high school students learned that passive civil disobedience was not enough, that the power elites had an enthusiastic and willing police force to enforce its arrogant will. Generations that have followed take the lesson as a given.

The same generation that 30 years later when in position of power started the Gulf War. I guess it's safe to assume that they were against the war when they had to serve their country but for when they could send someone else.

Back to the OP, I'm in Hong Kong right now and it's clear that the vast majority of the people here are for a quick end to the protests. It's not that they are against more democracy but they know the protests will achieve nothing but cost a lot to Hong Kong. So the sooner the police will clear the roads the better for everybody.

[Publicus]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

During the anti Vietnam war protests and demonstrations of the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s an entire generation of American college and high school students learned that passive civil disobedience was not enough, that the power elites had an enthusiastic and willing police force to enforce its arrogant will. Generations that have followed take the lesson as a given.

The same generation that 30 years later when in position of power started the Gulf War. I guess it's safe to assume that they were against the war when they had to serve their country but for when they could send someone else.

Back to the OP, I'm in Hong Kong right now and it's clear that the vast majority of the people here are for a quick end to the protests. It's not that they are against more democracy but they know the protests will achieve nothing but cost a lot to Hong Kong. So the sooner the police will clear the roads the better for everybody.

The same generation that 30 years later when in position of power started the Gulf War

Relax, I didn't vote for either Bush. While the post strays to other issues, I will say that the leadup to the Gulf war of 2003 had too many contradictions for me to be comfortable with it..

The Occupy and Umbrella Revolution groups aren't going home quite yet so minor inconveniences such as the demand of fair elections and popular government will remain and continue.

As of midnight the large group of construction workers supplying democracy advocates holding Queensway highway with long bamboo poles the past several days delivered more batches and new barricades are up, to include protective barriers made of concrete also supplied by construction workers. This is in contrast to the Triad gangsters the government has been using to try to break up the occupation.

Freedom isn't free and democracy can't come on the cheap or without inconveniences. Adjust....get used to it because the Boyz in Beijing are creating their worst enemies for the indefinite future starting now. Indeed, very few would mark the Umbrella Revolution as producing a generation of George Bush clones, evil doers to inflict HKG.

[Publicus]

Having lived in Hong Kong for many years in the 80s and 90s, I Know money rules in HK, The students are on a hiding to nothing, however worthy their cause. Once the protest sites prevent HK people from earning money, the protest is doomed to failure. Beijing would be well aware of this, all the powers that be in Beijing had to do was wait.

Very good observation ...the taxi drivers , the truck drivers , the food seller, the retail and hoteliers all want the roads reopened ..the HK police is doing the right thing by reopening roads.

My friends in the hotel business tells me that this month service tips payout is significantly lower and this protest has impacted many in the service fields there from a de facto "paycut" for something they may not agree or disagree with

Idealism should not interfere with being practical and having a normal way of life

If there are some who believe in this occupy movement....I would think the same one in Wall Street should have built squatter apartments on the roads by then if that protest has not ended but of course the police there have also cleared the roads etc etc

Sadly it has also ended ...so would be hypocritical to expect China or HK citizens to bear that same burden of being inconvenienced

Idealism should not interfere with being practical and having a normal way of life.

My god.

Everything happening in the East Asia / SE Asia region just bounces off some people.

They're missing a lot - always have, always will.

[LawrenceChee]

And aplenty happening in the wesy who have hoped with every incident in east Asia has bounced off some western brains as the next outpost to try to squeeze their brand of democracy down their throats ...

by God some still harbor the Far East mentality that we don't know better and cannot think for ourselves ...tsk tsk tsk and only the west true democracy model will work and save every government ..,,

Hong Kong has always been a blend ...you find drunks and louts at Lau Kwai Fong and also sophisticated tea drinkers at the Ritz...you find trashy playboy magazines and also Apple daily ragtags next to each other at a new stand

You find people walking around the street trying to close a million dollar deal and also a street vendor pushing a sale of a little stuffed toy

The beauty of cantonese spoken in street corners, the yum cha tea houses , the noisy Sunday brunches with the family and newspapers and all

the question the realist will ask is since 1997, has that culture stopped or was forced to closure by the CCP ?

[LawrenceChee]

The ideals of the students is not left unheard in Beijing ...they understand the importance of changing the face of a communist government and eventually there will come a time where voting will be the norm for China

On the face of it , it's monumental that a communist government would consider a vote ever , they are trying to stay relevant in a changing world.

They are giving it a shot, the students have demanded for rights now ...will they get it after a protest ?

I am unsure as every senior manager out there in industries know once you start to negotiate based on protests, you would always encourage that same habit.

Unions and salary negotiations and stage in have shown corporations failing when the only way to talk is to obstruct , down tools and threaten action....they rarely end well

As such China is asking for time to make their decision....the students in their minds tell them it must be now and this moment only...the wiser understand at times to retreat an inch to get a mile may be better in the long run.

The question is if it does not happen in 2017 but later will that mean the end of Hong Kong ? For many it's stays irrelevant as Hong Kong will always be HK uniquely different just as much as every province in China have their own unique features and culture.