HK protests - everything ok over there?

[samoht]

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77868000/jpg/_77868570_024092572-1.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-29397738

Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, says that "the ultimate aim" is to elect the chief executive "by universal suffrage".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-27921954

So democracy has been promised, but Beijing's current interpretation of democracy is 'you can vote for anyone you like, as long as they've been pre-approved by our committee'. Some people aren't happy about this.


Is everything ok? Hope things don't turn nasty (not that I think they would).

[Yw-slayer]

They have gotten nasty, but the protesters are probably retreating. Watched most of it on TV at home and the whatsapp groups are obviously ablaze.

I must say that the sight of tear gas really was a "holy crap" moment.

Thanks for asking, though, mate. We live away from the keg (although I do work around there) and there are other parts of town so we'll be ok.

[thesameguy]

That's a hell of a photo - holy crap is right! Hopefully it sends the right message to China.

[Yw-slayer]

Yeah, well, I saw a lot of "non-violent" protesters pushing and shoving against Police behind barriers and using inside-out umbrellas to attack them... Not exactly the best way to get your demands across.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Hope things turn out for the best!

[Yw-slayer]

Well, on the plus side, it's actually pleasantly empty in Central at the moment. Most of the crowds at lunchtime were office workers. After lunch I had a look and it was 80-90% students, most of whom were wandering around asking people if they needed towels or water.

I did overhear some English-speaking students (probably from an ESF school) debating about how they didn't want to do "the wrong thing" (i.e. move the right way or whatever) before one of them ponted out that there probably wasn't a "right" or "wrong" thing. LOL

Good thing I have a bike on which I can, well, bike to work and back.835836837838

[Yw-slayer]

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Some pics from last night's visit (by bike - so awesome that I can ride anywhere!!!) to the protest zone.

I noted that despite the presence of tens (maybe hundreds) of thousands of people, many still insisted on walking around, looking at their phones, with headphones/earphones on...

With hardly any cars on the streets, it's time to set NEW STRAVA RECORDS!!!!

[Mr Wonder]

Wow, that is a lot of protesters!
Stay safe dude.

[Yw-slayer]

Thanks mate. Though it's probably 10% observers like me.

The low pollution is great, I could certainly get used to this.

Probably going to do a photo-ride tonight with my VIRB on the helmet, should be good fun.

[Yw-slayer]

Guy drives at protesters sitting on the road, narrowly missing them (they apparently scrambled out of the way), is arrested for dangerous driving and says he didn't do anything wrong...

... in an MB E-Class. Only in HK would you use the super-mainstream, dream car of the middle class to do this stuff. LOL

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1604527/i-did-nothing-wrong-says-speeding-car-driver-after-narrow-miss

[Crazed_Insanity]

Wow. That guys must be an anti-democracy/communist sympathizer! >:(

Anyway, I know you have slightly different faith, but praying for you guys Hong Kong... stay safe.

[samoht]

Thanks for all the photos, glad things are ok so far.

[Yw-slayer]

Yeah. I just (415am) cycled along Gloucester Road, which is a four lane Highway, then got flagged down by students asking if I had any news from the location where the flag raising ceremony (to commemorate 65 years since the PRC was founded) will take place tomorrow, as a few protestors are planning to go there. I hadn't been so couldn't comment. Never before have I seen so many people walking around or waiting for buses or cabs at 4am. It was the right decision to cycle.

[overpowered]

Guy drives at protesters sitting on the road, narrowly missing them (they apparently scrambled out of the way), is arrested for dangerous driving and says he didn't do anything wrong...

... in an MB E-Class. Only in HK would you use the super-mainstream, dream car of the middle class to do this stuff. LOL

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1604527/i-did-nothing-wrong-says-speeding-car-driver-after-narrow-missIt is kind of amazing how some people consider using their multi-ton vehicle as a weapon is completely justified by someone else merely annoying them.

[Yw-slayer]

It is kind of amazing how some people consider using their multi-ton vehicle as a weapon is completely justified by someone else merely annoying them.

It is also kind of amazing how I knew you would post something like that.

[Yw-slayer]

Another guy apparently tries to force the issue (admittedly without trying to run over people), but again given that this is HK, he does it in the quintessential HK family minivan, namely the Toyota Noah. :lol:

851

[Sad, little man]

Wow, your protestors are so peaceful. If someone tried to drive that thing through a protest here, his shit would have been flipped over and/or set on fire.

Seriously, that little toaster is like prime car flipping material.

[Yw-slayer]

Oh yeah. These are probably the most peaceful mass protests (in terms of crime per protestor and observer) since the OG (Gandhi) ones. In contrast, my mate who went to MSU said they got tear gassed because they'd been knocked out in the final four and others were flipping cop cars and stuff. :lol:

[M4FFU]

Was going to say; the riots in London a few years ago were carnage within hours.

Stay (and ride!) safe dude :)

[thesameguy]

Another guy apparently tries to force the issue (admittedly without trying to run over people), but again given that this is HK, he does it in the quintessential HK family minivan, namely the Toyota Noah. :lol:

Where was that guy going? Looks like the road is blocked off ahead, anyway! :lol:

[Yw-slayer]

Turns out he's a friend's friend's friend. Moved here from the mainland a few years ago and hates the OC m on v movement. He wanted to go to a shopping mall, I think. Police tell him to go off. He offers them money if they clear the way for him. At that stage he's really lucky to be let go without being charged with reckless driving and attempted bribery, LOL.

【佔領最前線】有錢唔係大晒: http://youtu.be/48LSu9V1YUw

This is probably what caused the escalation to pepper spray on Sunday. The first bit isn't terribly clear (possibly because the crowd was shoving forward), but the rest of it is.
http://www.dbc.hk/multimedia-detail/Id/11809/type/51/%E3%80%90%E4%BD%94%E4%B8%AD%E5%85%A8%E9%9D%A2%E7%9 D%87%E3%80%91%E8%AD%A6%E5%AF%9F%E7%94%A8%E8%83%A1% E6%A4%92%E5%99%B4%E9%9C%A7%E5%81%B7%E8%A5%B2%E5%92 %8C%E4%BA%8B%E8%80%81

It may be that the last guy was one of those who attacked them with the umbrellas, then comes back, then the guy tells him to get lost and he ignores him so the officer decides to spray him. But we'll never know.

This one's really funny too, basically some guy is complaining that his daughters can't go to school, so he starts tearing down banners and inviting people to beat him up, but to tell him first that they will hit him, and everyone else just ends up laughing at him and saying no-one wanted to hit him...*https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=982342808459317&set=vb.160696287290644&type=2&theater

[Yw-slayer]

Good stream of 4 HK TV news channels for anyone who's interested, although I think only Vince will be able to understand most of the contents: http://www.ustream.tv/embed/16916340?v=3&wmode=direct

Or if you're feeling nosy, you can just watch them for the ads...

[Yw-slayer]

Everybody's doing Kung Fu Fighting... HAH!!

[speedpimp]

Where was that guy going? Looks like the road is blocked off ahead, anyway! :lol:

It's not the destination, it's the journey, man.